retro-the-best....: Retro: Kimmer

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Retro: Kimmer

JOHNNY BEE: OPENING FOR BOB SEGER AT THE PALACE!

Posted: 21 May 2011 05:26 PM PDT

Hi Kim, And this is the rest of the story. Bob Seger And The Silver Bullet Band WSG/ The Rockets at The Palace of Auburn Hills, Last Tuesday night May 17th.

May 17th my Mother's birthday. She turned 91. I love you Mom. She said; aren't you playing tonight? I said yes at The Palace opening for Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band.

I arrived at around 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Draging my stage clothes (I call it our monkey suits) and some gear in through the stage door. My drum Tek Steve Badalament was setting up my kit backstage in the hallway.

As we were talking one of the big Palace steel doors opened up and an a black SUV drove straight in, After the driver got out of the car I realized it was Bob who saw us and came over to say hello. With hugs all around and a few introductions of some of my crew guys, we chatted a few minutes, as Bob started walking away.

I asked him if that was his vehicle. Bob said it was. I then asked him if he was gonna be parked there all night. he said; yes!!! That's when I said that'll be 20 bucks for parking. Bob headed off to his dressing room.

Then Chris Campbell showed up and you could hear Jim McCarty yelling at him. Hey Campbell you got that twenty bucks you owe me. So Chris came over and we started yakking about old times and then Craig Frost came over. A few minutes later Donny Brewer showed up and we took a picture together. After our all out meeting and greeting. we headed to get some dinner while Bob was sound checking.

Then someone yelled The Rockets can have the stage earlier because Bob was done sound checking. We went through our check and headed off to the dressing room to get ready. The crowd filled in and took their seats. I was announcing all week "The Show Starts When everybody's in their seats."

We played a short high energy set of Rockets classic's and a few new songs we are gonna record on our new CD. After a good kick-ass version of Oh Well with the crowd singing all the words. We took our bow at the front of the stage and went to change.

Cracking open a nice bottle of Cabernet and walking out into the hallway, the Silver Bullet Band was gathering and getting ready to hit the stage. They were waiting for there leader Mr. Seger and here he came with a lit cigarette in his hand. I'm thinking Bob at your age and you're still smoking!!!

But as the band took the stage the crowd went into hysterics. Bob started with Roll Me Away and the crowd sang every word. In fact they sang every word to every song for the whole 2 1/2 hour show. Bob's voice was in excellent shape. He never sounded better.

After all the craziness in our dressing room... people were leaving and I was starting to leave when my phone rang and the voice at the other end said "Where are you?" I answered "I'm going home." What!!! Everybody's at the after show party in the banquet room. OK, I could go for that. So I went up stairs and the place was packed. Alto Reed was there(Opa) Craig Frost, Shaun Murphy, The up town horns and many fans who came over and let me know how much they loved The Rockets and Bob on the same show.

I told them I had the engineer's go out and check the structure of the Palace to make sure it could withstand a night of Michigan Kick-ass rock & roll. For some reason I ended up talking with so many people we were the last ones to leave the Palace.

I was talking with Karen Newman, when someone yelled hey Bee It's time to go. Turn off the lights!!!!

Thank you to everyone who helped make it such a wonderful evening. Bob invited us back to open next weekend in Grand Rapids on Saturday night May 28th. Rock & roll never forgets!!!!

Much love to all of you. Johnny Bee Badanjek

Thanks BEE! xxook

Thank you Andrea Edwards for the photos xxook

STEVE WINWOOD ERIC CLAPTON: CAN'T FIND MY WAY HOME

Posted: 21 May 2011 10:06 AM PDT