Rockabilly Woodstock 2007
In the same way that the original Woodstock Festival of 1969 was a celebration of the 60's counterculture, Green Bay's Rockin' 50's Fest is a celebration of the worldwide Rockabilly culture. The five-day music festival held every couple of years at the Oneida Casino in Green Bay draws fans and performers from all over the world to this shindig of music, fashion, and dancing that celebrates all that's great about Rock and Roll.
This year's event kicked off in the Iroquois Ballroom with a great set from Holland's Rockabilly glamour gal, Sue Moreno. Looking like a young Jane Russell in a form-fitting gown right out of a 50's fashion magazine, Moreno steamed up the ballroom in a hurry. The highlight of her set was a version of Ricky Nelson's hit "Just A Little Too Much". Too much indeed! The 3 Clans Ballroom had the big names every night, and opening night offered Little Richard and an absolutely tremendous set from Jack Scott.
Thursday afternoon blasted off with a killer set from former Sun artist Sonny Burgess and Texas Rockabilly queen , Rosie Flores. Next up was a nice set from another Sun artist, Billy Lee Riley. Topping off the afternoon was a set from Buddy Holly's Original Crickets featuring drummer Jerry Allison, bassist Joe B. Mauldin, and vocalist Sonny Curtis. In a special tribute, the band played "Words Of Love" for the first time in 50 years. Jason D. Williams tore the house down in the Iroquois Ballroom after supper. Jason can be best described as Jerry Lee Lewis on triple-time. His piano was in pieces on the floor at the conclusion of his set. Early sax-honker Big Jay McNeely kept things cooking in the 3 Clans Ballroom. He was followed by a couple of artists who were responsible for the Rockabilly Revival of the 1980's. First up was vocalist Robert Gordon - the only modern Rockabilly cat with the pipes to tackle Jack Scott songs. He was accompanied by guitarist extraordinaire, Chris Spedding. Lee Rocker, former bassist with the Stray Cats, then played a high energy set that didn't even start until after midnight.
Jerry Lee Lewis' sister, Linda Gail, took things out of the gate on Friday afternoon, followed by Rusty "Sugaree" York. The Cleftones put on a flawless Doo-Wop set to jump-start the evening and were followed by Frankie Ford, the Penguins, and a set featuring a pair of Texas blues-rockers, Ray Sharpe and Barbara Lynn.
Saturday was the highlight of this year's Rockin' 50's Fest. Charlie Gracie put on an incredible show to start the day off. Roy Head followed with a set that included a display of mic handling that had to be seen to be believed. The Clovers added a touch of R&B vocalizing to the proceedings before a nice set by Rayburn Anthony and Carl "Mona Lisa" Mann. Mac Curtis, Ray Campi, Michigan's Johnny Powers, and Joe Clay shared the stage in a high energy performance that set the stage for the evening's biggest surprise, the Collins Kids. Backed by current Rockabilly favs, Deke Dickerson & The Ecco-Fonics, brother and sister Larry and Lorrie Collins put on a high-powered show that really made you wonder why they weren't bigger the first time around. The highlight of their set was special guest Wanda Jackson stepping up to the mic to perform "Let's Have a Party", a song that both she and the Collins Kids had recorded in the 50's
The big question on Sunday was what was going to happen with Bo Diddley's spot Sunday night in the 3 Clans Ballroom? Bo had suffered a stroke earlier in the week and had to cancel on Sunday. Everyone was disappointed in not getting to see him, but were relieved at the news that he was doing well and that his doctors were hopeful that he might recover enough to perform again in the future. The Bobbettes put a little girl group sound into the mix on Sunday afternoon but things were pretty calm until Rockabilly legend Wanda Jackson took the stage. Backed by a German band called the Lustre Kings, Wanda turned the heat up in a hurry. She was followed by Louisiana Rockabilly legend Dale Hawkins. There was a big rumor floating around that Brian Setzer was coming to town for a Stray Cats reunion in the spot that Bo Diddley had vacated. Slim Jim Phantom had been playing every night in Slim Jim's Jam at the Main Casino Lounge, so it wasn't entirely out of the question that the reunion could happen. Alas, Slim Jim and Lee Rocker put together an All-Star band that played in Bo's spot, but no Brian Setzer. They were followed by Speedo & the Cadillacs, and then a set by Johnny Burnette's son, Rocky Burnette.
Don't hesitate if you get a chance to go to the next Rockin' 50's Fest in Green Bay. There is non-stop music going on in four different venues. It's easy to meet the big stars. They all sit and sign autographs, pictures, records, and CDs after their shows. Most of them stay at the casino and you can speak with them at breakfast or just find them hanging out in the audience watching the other acts. There are none of the "fake" groups performing at the Rockin' 50's Fest. All of the performers (Cleftones, Cadillacs etc.) have at least one of the original members on the stage. The young Rockabilly bands from all over the world are amazing. I only got a chance to see a few of them during their own sets, but many of the younger bands backed the older stars during their performances. The music was pumping from early afternoon to early the next morning every day. No fights, no drunks, no hassles; just a great time for all.