Really, there was no excuse for it. Your friendly neighborhood Nightcrawler could say that he was watching it on a small, flip-down screen. It was a wide camera shot. And he had just helped his beach neighbors rigorously test their latest batch of homemade wine.
But a certified Zeppo-file like himself should certainly have known better. Yet there he was, for a solid 10 minutes, fixating on the diminutive screen.
"What Zeppelin concert is this? I've never seen it," he said with wide-eyed bewilderment. "Certainly not Knebworth or Royal Albert Hall?"
Thankfully, he could later take some solace in the fact that many others similarly reported being duped by the California-based Zep tribute act Led Zepplica and their premiere concert on PBS television in the days that followed. Granted, many of these were fellow vino-samplers, but it was soothing to the ego, nonetheless.
"Pretty spot on, aren't they?" says Miguel "Mick" Goncalves, founder of area AC/DC imitators Back in Black and the catalyst behind the first annual Rockfest, occurring this Saturday, June 6 at the Ludlow Fish and Game Club. "I had the chance to tour with [Zepplica] around the country for three weeks last fall, around the same time I was plotting the festival. And I just knew they had to headline."
In addition to having Led Zepplica "coming from California" to do just that (and his own B in B plugging in for an AC/DC set, of course), Goncalves has also cemented Bon Jovi mimics Bon Jersey and local boys Perfect Crime to this Saturday's bill.
"The thinking has always been to create some hometown family fun," he concludes. "So us and Bon Jersey feature members from Ludlow, and Perfect Crime is a bunch of Ludlow High kids who have been jamming since they were tiny. Throw in a bounce house, animals from Lupa Zoo, volleyball, temporary tattoos and more—as we have—and sure it seems like 'mission accomplished.'"
Those who concur with Goncalves' mission statement and the assessment of the talent and entertainment he has assembled can purchase tickets of their own at Jake's Drive-In in Wilbraham, Frank's Diner in Ludlow or Chuck's Signs in Chicopee, or email bnbnacdc@aol.com. Admission is $20 for adults—free for children under 12—with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Ludlow Conservation Committee.
In other news, the June 6 bill at Club Meadows in East Longmeadow seems virtually tailor-made for West Springfield rockers Tailor Made. For starters, the evening's headliners, '90s rockers Sex & Candy, have recently sweetened their sound by adding Keith Hopkinson into the mix as lead singer. And since Hopkinson, best known for his work with 30 Stones in years past, is a proven performer with bona fide drawing power, that should translate into a healthy crowd for the Made-men. Which that opening act deserves, considering a) they were recent Valley Advocate Grand Band Slam winners for Best New Band, and b) they will be unveiling tracks from their highly anticipated studio debut, tentatively titled Shoulda Known Better.
"I'm psyched to play the Meadows, as I have seen so many great bands there and always wanted to get up on that stage. And the disc is sounding so pro," says Tailor's Tim Rapa. "[They were] able to squeeze us in between national bands/recording labels& and I can't wait till Western Mass. gets to wrap its ears around the finished product."
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Last on the Crawler's "to do" list this week? Inform readers about the New England Doo-Wop Society's Rock 'n' Roll Revival, stepping off this Friday, June 5 at the Castle of Knights in Chicopee. This 17th installment of the popular series is set to feature the Jive Five, Richie Steben and the a cappella harmonies of Classic Sounds. For more info, call (413) 478-0901 or email doowoopgmj@yahoo.com. Tickets are $42 for a buffet and show, $30 for show only.
Send correspondence to: Nightcrawler, P.O. box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to: (860) 698-9373 or e-mail: garycarra@aol.com.
