Southside Atlanta Memories

Panama City Beach! Thunder Beach Spring Rally 2011 schedule, reviews-

Have been reviewing last fall's excellent music line-up- this 2011 Spring Thunder Beach is rockin' with Geneva, the Southern All Stars, and this afternoon (Sat. 4/30/11) at the Shoppes at Edgewater, the Ms. Thunder Beach Pageant, 2:00 p. m. 

CLICK TO GO DIRECTLY TO SCHEDULE

Eli's comin'- to Sandpiper again, WHAT a SHOW they always put on.

I think that's the bottom line. From Pat Travers to the newest recruit, these folks are having  FUN giving it up for the audience. Sure, it's a living, but if you've ever run the roads, it's hard work. All of the musicians here look like they are happy to be with us. It shows, and there is no substitute. Ever.

{October, 2010] Edgar Winter wowed the crowd at The Shoppes at Edgewater Friday night.
His now sliver white locks sport bobbed bangs- analogous with his show- classic, yet cutting edge.  He brought  support ,  Doug Rappaport on a nice black Les Paul,  kOko [sic] Powell beating the bass, and Jason Carpenter cheerfully rising  to the daunting task of drumming WITH Edgar Winter.  Make no mistake, it was WITH; Winter is still the master of his instruments- playing his trademark keyboard strapped around his neck , as well as augmenting percussion on a darkened stage with lighted drumsticks during a perfect “Frankenstein.”  He brought out some saxophone blues showing the amazed crowd just who is the “Texas Tornado.”  Like Bugs Bunny with the maestro, Winter had the group laughing and stunned at the same time as he tormented the guitarist ; Winter scatting a solo,and commanding  Rappaport to match it, increasing the range and difficulty each time, until the good natured (and excellent, aside from the shtick) guitar player just looked at the fans and shook his head sadly.  Speaking of fans- they were within touching distance of the stage, and the musicians leaned as far as they safely could to accommodate any desire for closeness or camera phones.  Winter himself shook hands during songs, never missing a beat.   With Molly Hatchet at Shoppes at Edgewater and ELI at the Sandpiper Beacon Beach Resort, (They're there NOW, Spring 2011!) the problem is whom to see.

Each has so much southern rock cred and jam potential. Rocking happy people and a night of really good boogie was pretty much guaranteed, since both groups are made up of musicians who’ve been touring the South for, say, a few years. To paraphrase a local morning show talker, don’t ever say there is nothing to do in Panama City Beach.
And Thunder Beach? This reviewer rides a bicycle, but had a fantastic time at the week’s festivities and has never seen so much rock and roll. For free.

Another lovely day to nap on Panama City Beach! Thunder Beach Spring Rally 2011

Sun, breezes, and the distant roar of the bikes, as well as the surf. What a beautiful place to be today!

 

Rick Derringer was here last year, along with Pat Travers, Edgar Winter, and our southside faves, Eli, who willbe back Friday and Saturday night.

Click here for the music schedule.

[In October 2010] on Thursday night, folks in the know gathered at Club LaVela to witness Rick Derringer and his band, Charlie Torres on bass, and Tommy Curiale with the drum kit. Derringer, the guitar player's guitar player, led the guys showing off uncanny versatility, expected from someone known for everything from “Hang on Sloopy” to “I'm an American”; he toured with Led Zeppelin on their last tour.  RD’s even done a Christian rock album with his kids. It was all crazy guitar jive Thursday night- rocking some very happy fans.

 

The south (side) invades the Gulf (of Mexico): Thunder Beach Spring Rally 2011

 Well, here we go again! All the pretty horses are rolling onto the sandy pavement on Panama City Beach- I hear them rumbling a few streets over as I type. It's daytime- this is not an unwelcome sound to most of us at all. Come enjoy this fabulous place with us!
Easter Sunday 2011 (three days ago!)

In the last three years I have had the pleasure of welcoming southside friends here for Thunder Beach Fall and Spring Rallys and have enjoyed every minute of it, save having to drive around folks out on the *big road* when they are not wearing helmets.

What's your favorite part of the Bike weeks-Thunder Beach in particular?  I've cut out several frustrating clicks for the schedule >>Click here for this year's festivities on the official page.

Check out the Josh Adams Band- they are here, and gave us a preview on the Morning Show today- they are sharp and smokin'!

Last fall I had the privlige of covering some of the music events- I STOOD ON THE STAGE WITH PAT TRAVERS. No. Really. I thought it was going to be simply a nostalgia trip- but some of you may remember, I was in for a BIG surprise! One that includes Rick Derringer, and Edgar Winter!

Oh My! Part in the One of Jeannie's Big Adventure:

“Don't ya know I'm never gonna lose that funky sound-
Rock & roll, hoochie koo”

In fact, they haven’t . The performers here at the Thunder Beach Fall Rally 2010, that is, including Rick Derringer, quoted above.  Evidently if a player survives the initial tidal wave of rock n roll success and excess, he just gets better and better.
Read the headline entertainment line-up for this year’s Fall Rally. Pat Travers, Rick Derringer, Edgar Winter, Molly Hatchet.
 Wednesday night,  Pat Travers and co. were the first pleasant surprise.  Everyone recalls “Boom Boom (Out go the lights!)” with some degree of loathing or fascination, and Travers has been revered among the guitar savvy guys for his chops, earning  a solid following for his high energy live shows. Pat and his current crew (Kirk McKim on guitar, Rodney O’Quinn on bass, and Sean Shannon manning the drums) are grooving right through, looking sharp and fit, laughing; having a good time and giving a GREAT one.  “Crash and Burn” was if anything, better than the 1980 album cut, technically proficient but infused with a little more bluesy feeling, yet retaining that Canadian hard rock coolness.  “Josephine”  contributed a little more of the cryin’ good blues; featuring Travers’ sliding and bending, and later Shannon backed up his mates as they displayed some crowd pleasing three guitar action.

 

Atlanta Motel on 19 & 41- Those confounding post offices.

The genius at Atlanta Time Machine has a treat for us! That's right- some southside goodies. Click here for a turquoise delight of the Atlanta Motel. ATM gets a little confused because of the USPO (at the time) having a policy of using the following post office monikers seemingly interchangeably - Jonesboro, Riverdale, and College Park. During the 1970s as well, Old National was included in the confusion, and I remember my Aunt Mitzi's mailing address flipping back and forth from "Riverdale" to "College Park." Of course, the Atlanta Motel was in Jonesboro, on what we called 1941, also known as Tara Boulevard, and Nine-teen and Forty-one. This federal highway goes down past - guess where? Zebulon, near Warm Springs, and then 19 goes down to Tampa. 41 joins back in from its wanderings to become The Tamiami Trail.

Here's a little experiment merging Airchexx and old maps- 19, and 41 being major arteries for the Florida trip of yore. Great old radio talk from Gary McKee at Quixie in Dixie, WQXI, or Super-Q, as they are calling it here. One of the prizes on the Great Summer Giveaway is the new Allman Bros Band album, Brothers and Sisters.  Click here, and put the pedal to the metal...