WINTER DANCE PARTY 2012

BY ED BRUCE edbrucevegas@yahoo.com

PRETTY MUCH THE WINTER DANCE  PARTY FROM 1959 AT THE SURF BALLROOM CLEAR LAKE, IOWA !

IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE STORYLINE ......GOOD NEWS, THERE IS STILL TIME....THIS SHOW RETURNS TO THE SOUTH POINTE SHOWROOM IN MARCH AND I AM MAKING PLANS FOR ITS RETURN.........NOW IS THE TIME 702 797 8055....THESE SHOWS ALWAYS SELL OUT AND ALL THREE DID THIS RUN AT THE SOUTH POINTE WEST LAS VEGAS STRIP.

THE WINTER DANCE PARTY RECREATES BUDDY HOLLY'S BRIEF MUSIC STORY AND INCLUDES IMPERSONATIONS OF J P RICHARDSON AND RICHIE VALLENS WHO ALL DIED IN THE 3 FEBRUARY 1959 PLANE CRASH IN A COLD IOWA CORNFIELD ON 3 FEBRUARY 1959.  HELL OF A STORY ....WE ACTUALLY ATTENDED THE 50TH YEAR REUNION IN 2009....GREAT...HISTORIC...ACCURATE....THEY DO IT EVERY YEAR...A GREAT VACATION DESINTATION.

ANYWAY THE SUPER NICE PART TO THIS IS.....ITS ALL PRE 1959 MUSIC...DONE WHERE THE WORDS ARE ABLE TO BE HEARD.....DRUMS DO NOT KILL THE MUSIC....MUSIC ITSELF BEATTLESESQUE .....ITS THAT GOOD.....CLASSIC STUFF WITH....CHANTILLY LACE....RUNNING BEAR....LA BAMBA....DONNA....THAT'LL BE THEDAY....TRUE LOVE WAYS...RAVE ON...OH BOY AND LOTS MORE.
MAKING IT EVEN BETTER THEY ADDED FLUTE AND HORN TO "TRUE LOVE WAYS".

BUDDY HOLLY DIED AT 23....JOHN MUELLERS AGE I COULD NOT FIND ON  INET.... HE MAY BE 50
J P RICHARDSON DIED AT 29..J P RICHARDSON JR IN THE WOMB AT THE TIME OF THE PLANE CRASH..53
RICHIE VALES DIED AT 18....RAY ANTHONY MIGHT BE 40.

POINT HERE IS THESE TRIBUTE SINGERS HAVE HAD A MUCH LONGER CAREER THAN THE ORIGINALS....AND FOR US....THOSE THAT LOVE THIS STUFF.....IT CONTINUES.  NEEDLESS TO SAY NO DEAD WEIGHT IN THE WHOLE THING....ALL THE 3 SINGERS REALLY SINCERE AND OVER THE TOP.
 
 WHILE HOLLY ORIGINALLY HAD BOB MAUDLIN AND J R ALLISON ON BASS AND DRUMS AND SOME TIMES NIKI SULLIVAN ON GUITAR...THE .CURRENT WINTER DANCE GROUP INCLUDES THE 3 HEADLINERS AND BASS, GUITAR, AND HORNS....ARRANGEMENTS ARE JUST PERFECT AND THE EQUALLY PERFECT SOUTH POINT SHOWROOM IS THE ULTIMATE MARRIAGE FOR WHAT COMES DOWN IN THIS PRETTY MUCH ALWAYS THE SAME PRODUCTION....THIS, ONE OF THE STRENGTHS OF THE SHOW AS MOST OF US OLDER FANS HATE CHANGE AND NOISE.  PRODUCTION VALUES OF LIGHTING....SOUND AND PRODUCTION AT THE SOUTH POINTE THEATRE.....ONLY BETTER THAN EXCELLENT.

GOD THIS WAS JUST PERFECT....I DID TWO SHOWS ON THIS DAY AND THEY WERE BOTH RIGHT ON TIME....90 MINUTES HERE WITH AUTOGRAPHS AND CD SALES AND HELLOS TO FOLLOW.

BOPPER OPENS WITH THREE SONGS....RICHIE DOES FOUR..... BUDDY EIGHT AND THEN THEY ALL RETURN FOR ANOTHER SOLO SET WITH THEIR REAL BIGGIES....I COULD DO THIS EVERY MONTH BUT THE SOUTH POINTE ONLY  PROVIDES THE SHOW TWICE A YEAR !   THANK YOU.

AFTER WATCHING THE NEVADA BALLET THEATRE IN THE AFTERNOON AT THE SMITH CENTER FOR A PERFECT SCORE.....THE WINTER DANCE PARTY AT THE SOUTH POINTE FOLLOWED UP WITH AN EQUALLY PERFECT SCORE FOR THE ENCORE !

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