Feature Column
Exclusive to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
Column #43 - published March 5, 2001
VIVA LAS VEGAS 2001
This column is gonna be short and sweet!
Why? Well, I had a very unpleasant computer crash, which knocked me out of the ball park for about a week. I had to re-format the hard drive, and then try to re-install Windows, but unfortunately my system didn't want to read the CD-ROM where Windows was waiting to be installed!!!
Well, it's a week later and the printer and scanner still don't work on my Dell 'puter de puta! Good thing I've got another commie-puter!
This is the fourth VIVA LAS VEGAS and the festival has gotten better every year. We expect the same to happen this year.
In the main room we have WANDA JACKSON, MARVIN RAINWATER, THE CADILLACS, BIG SANDY, JACK BAYMOORE, MARTI BROM, SKINNY McGHEE, THE FLEA BOPS (doing songs out of their fantastic new CD), CARLOS & THE BANDIDOS, THE HAYWOODS, THE BLUE RIBBON BOYS, THE FABULOUS HARMONAIRES, THE ROYAL CROWN REVUE, CARI LEE & HER SADDLE-ITES, THE SATELLITES, THE FLATFOOT SHAKERS and THE RACKETEERS.
In the Dance Hall they feature LUCKY13, TOP HANDS, THOMAS LAVELLE (who played rip roaring piano on Mack Stevens' Rollin' Rock "Texas Heat" CD), DADDYO'S, SCREAMIN SOLOFLIGHTS and THE STUMBLEWEEDS, and more to be added.
In the East Lounge we'll see the DONETTES and the POISON OKIES (whose drummer Derek Dugger played on Mack Stevens' yet to be released Rollin' Rock CD "Let's Rock Tonight!"). More acts are being added.
Last, but not least, Bob Timmers of the Rockabilly Hall Of Fame, has an incredible lineup in the West Lounge:
Johnny & The Blades.
Thursday:
7:00 - Crossfire
8:00 - Rockin' Ryan and the Real Goners
9:00 - Dave Crimmen
10:00 - Billy Adams
10:45 - Gary Flash and the Retro Rockets
11:30 - The Lustre Kings
12:15 - Champagne Velvet
1:00 - Dave & Bad Cats with Bob Kelly
Friday:
6:00 - Travis LeDoyt
6:45 - Dave & Bad Cats featuring "Dr. Tom Butt"
7:30 - Johnny Powers + Rayburn Anthony
8:15 - Josie Kreuzer
9:00 - Lou Hobbs + Bob Black w/Crossfire
9:45 - Marco Di Maggio with Gary Lambert
10:30 - Matt Lucas
11:15 - Rockin' Roary w/Crossfire
12:00 - Bob Kelly, Bill Mack, *Paul Peek (*PENDING)
1:00 - Pep Torres and band
Saturday:
Afternoon: 1:00 - 5:00 OPEN JAM, hosted by the Chop Tops
5:45 - Dave Crimmen
6:45 - Blacktop Rockets
7:30 - Glen Glenn with Gary Lambert
"Rollin Rock" Records 30th Anniversary Tribute Show:
8:30 - 9:00 - Paul Galaxy & the Galactix
9:15 - 9:45 - Johnny & The Blades
10:00 - 10:30 - Rip Carson & his Chain Gang
10:45 - 12 ...
Ray Campi
Alvis Wayne backed by the Chop Tops
Mac Curtis (pending)
12:00 - Fireballs
1:00 - Lazy Crazies
Sunday:
6:00 - Rusty Evans
7:00 - Rusty York
8:00 - Billy Swan / Rick Keen + Band
9:30 - Travis LeDoyt
10:30 - John Mueller
11:30 - OPEN JAM for Die-Hard Musicians and Fans
Sidemen Available and On Stage at Various Times: Jerome VanGasteren, Calif., lead gtr., 562-630-6747 (worked with Ray Campi, Eddie Bond, Billy Lee Riley, etc.) - Bill Mack, electric bass - Bob Kelly, vocals - Garlin "Hack" Hackney, vocals and acoustic rhythm guitar - "Gator", standup bass - Dave Hermsen, electric bass - Tom Gebheim, drums - Marco Di Maggio, electric guitar - Dave Crimmen, electric guitar - Many other talented rockabilly sidemen will be on hand
As you can see, BOB TIMMERS has the good taste and historical savvy to recognize THE THIRTY YEARS ANNIVERSARY OF ROLLIN' ROCK RECORDS by dedicating Saturday night to it.
RAY CAMPI, more than anybody else, must be credited for keeping Rollin' Rock rollin' during the 1970s-1980s, and, together with MAC CURTIS, for spawning the Rockabilly Rebels craze in Europe which then spread to Japan and America, and which is now galloping into the new Millenium!!!
RAY CAMPI and TONY CONN, Rollin' Rock Legends.
ALVIS WAYNE, the third TEXAS legend of ROLLIN' ROCK nite, will feature selections from his new Rollin' Rock CD "Proud Of My Rockabilly Roots".
ALVIS WAYNE, Proud Of His Rockabilly Roots, the name of his new Rollin' Rock CD as well!!!
As always on Wednesday afternoon, at Rancho Ronny, my house, I will hold the fourth International Rockabilly Rebels Meet & Greet. The theme this year is........well, of course, THIRTY YEARS OF ROLLIN' ROCK RECORDS!!
Rip Carson.
Kats Like Us
has put together two big shows for everyone to enjoy. All the bands on the bill (but one) are NOT playing anywhere on the Gold Coast VIVA LAS VEGAS STAGES. Here is the line up so far for the FIRST & ONE AND ONLY ORIGINAL KATS LIKE US "PRE" & "POST" VIVA LAS VEGAS PARTIES.
Wednesday April 11th @ The Junkyard (right down the road from Ronny Weiser's house) 2327 S. Eastern and Sahara 7:00pm - 5 bands for $10, right after Ronnies party.
THE KNOCKED-OUTS
BLACKTOP ROCKETS
TRAILERPARK CASANOVAS
THE CHOP TOPS
THE THREE BAD JACKS
Kats Like Us Music Shoppe
Viva Vintage
Shanewear
Then there is a MEET & GREET on Thursday April 12th
2pm FREE with
ROCKET 350
BLACKTOP ROCKETS
PAUL GALAXY
And on Monday April 16th
8:00pm $10 we have a great line up for you JUST
THE BEST
THE HARDLUCK TRIO
THE BELLFURIES
THE LUCKY STARS
ROCKET 350
Later Wednesday night Wild Promotions throws a show at Gilley's which ends at 5:00 am:
Sun Recording Artist Hayden Thompson will headline the show supported by:
The Tunebusters (London),
Rockin' Lloyd Tripp and the Zipguns (San Francisco),
Wildfire Willie and the Ramblers (Sweden),
Ramblin' James and the Billyboppers (Los Angeles);
You can all go to the KATS LIKE US show first, which starts at 7:00pm, and then, when their gig is over, you can trek on down to Gilley's to catch Hayden Thompson and Wildfire Willie.
It's gonna be a wild rockin' good time, for sure!!
Always Rollin' The Rollin' Rock,
Rockin' Ronny Weiser
The Rockabilly Rebel Westerner From Las Vegas, The Wild Wild West!
E-Mail Ronny at Rollin' Rock
THE ARCHIVES OF
RONNY'S ROCKABILLY HALL OF FAME COLUMNS
© 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
Col. #41 for 01/01 - MACK STEVENS + HIGH PLAINS DRIFTERS + POISON OKIES
Col. #40 for 12/00 - WHATEVER HAPPENED TO COUNTRY MUSIC?
Col. #39 for 11/00 - KATS LIKE US
Col. #38 for 10/00 - JERRY LEE LEWIS IS 65<
Col. #37 for 09/00 - THE STARLIGHT DRIFTERS
Col. #36 for 08/00 - ALVIS WAYNE AT ROLLIN' ROCK
Col. #35 for 07/00 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA 2000
Col. #34 for 06/00 - THE CHOP TOPS AT ROLLIN' ROCK!!
Col. #33 for 05/00 - VIVA LAS VEGAS 2000 PIX!
Col. #32 for 04/00 - DRAGSTRIP77: TEARIN' IT UP!
Col. #30 & #31 for 02/00 & 03/00 - VIVA LAS VEGAS 2000!
Col. #29 for 01/00 - ROCKIN' 2000!
Col. #28 for 12/99 - JOHNNY AND THE BLADES AT ROLLIN' ROCK!
Col. #27 for 11/99 - AN UPDATED IMPROVED SOUND?
Col. #26 for 10/99 - TIME TO RECLAIM "THE ROCK"
Col. #26 for 10/99 - TIME TO RECLAIM "THE ROCK"
Col. #25 for 9/99 - YOUNG ROCK AT ROLLIN' ROCK
Col. #24 for 8/99 - COMETS RECORD AT ROLLIN' ROCK
Col. #23 for 7/99 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!
Col. #22 for 6/99 - FINLAND IS A ROCKABILLY LAND!
Col. #21 for 5/99 - THEY ARE NOT FORGOTTEN
Col. #20 for 4/99 - ROCKABILLY REBEL: A SHORT HISTORY
Col. #19 for 3/99 - PINBALL MILLIONAIRE
Col. #18 for 1/99 & 2/99 - VIVA LAS VEGAS 1999
Col. #17 - 12/98 - INTERNATIONAL ROCKABILLY REBELS MEET & GREET
Col. #16 - 11/98 - GROOVEY JOE POOVEY: Reminiscing
Col. #15 - 10/98 - CHARLIE FEATHERS
Col. #14 - 9/98 - NARVEL FELTS AT ROLLIN' ROCK!
Col. #13 - 8/98 - IT'S WESTERN WEAR!
Col. #12 - 7/98 - THE JORDANAIRES
Col. #11 - 6/98 - ROCKABILLY HOF - 15,000 HITS!!
Col. #10 - 5/98 - MAC STEVENS RECORDS AT ROLLIN' ROCK
Col. # 9 - 4/98 - VIVA LAS VEGAS
Col. # 8 - 3/98 - KAY WHEELER
Col. # 7 - 2/98 - 10 ROLLIN' ROCK CDs
Col. # 6 - 1/98 - SAM COOKE
Col. # 5 - 12/97 - LAS VEGAS IS A 1950's TOWN
Col. # 4 - 11/97 - GOD BLESS TEXAS
Col. # 3 - 10/97 - FATS DOMINO
Col. # 2 - 9/97 - RAB DISCUSSION GROUP
Col. # 1 - 8/97 - 25 YEARS OF ROLLIN' ROCK RECORDS
