We had a great time at the chili cook-off ! Thank You Greeneville!

•  Highlight :   The young lady who joined us on stage and belted out "Rocky Top"
•  Hiccup :   If you noticed that "Born to be Wild" was a little long, there was a reason.  The Harley trailer, and therefore the Harley, was parked across  the street.  As we kicked off the show the light turned red.  There was Harley Hogg (Bill) decked out in all his glory stuck at the intersection.  While we repeated another chorus Bill tried to run the light, no luck.  Can't a guy on a red, white and blue Harley with matching pants get a break?

  We thought we'd be in for a party and the people at "LT's" proved us right!  Thank You Santee!

•  Highlight : Anytime we get the opportunity to share the stage with Percy Sledge it's one big highlight, especially when he sings "When A Man Loves A Woman".
•  Hiccup :  Earlier this year we were scheduled to perform with Percy at "LT's".  Percy had to cancel at the last minute due to illness.  We didn't know he wouldn't be there until we arrived.  Percy (and his wife Rosa) was really sick and felt terrible about having to cancel.  This night was the rescheduling of that night.  We pulled up to the gig and Kenny (owner of "LT's") had a sour look on his face.  He said Percy had missed his flight from Washington D.C. and we might have to play without him (again!).  Now we've known Kenny for a while and he usually doesn't joke about things like this.  Turns out this time he was joking, and for a minute he had us ... good! 

  Two things the "Shriners" really know how to do is help children and party!  Thank You Hickory!

• Highlight : The Shriners do so much for so many.  It's a joy to see them having so much fun.  The "Divans" brought the house down!
• Hiccup : The Convention Center said they didn't know we would require electricity. We thought we would have use our hamster-powered generators.  The "Convention Center guys" (they really were great) felt sorry for the hamsters and gave us 6 isolated circuits.  A few hours before show time Bill's horn rig began to howl.  We narrowed the problem down to his sampler (only the heart of Bill's horn sound).  Twenty minutes later, with the sampler in pieces spread out on the stage, John found the capacitor that had broken off.  We had a soldering iron but no solder.  A trip to Radio Shack ensued.  John had to use his and (on the same nose) Gregg's glasses to make the repair.  Also crucial to the repair was a well placed piece of (it's really true) duct tape.  The sampler worked fine, Bill played his heart out and John had time enough to eat.

Sometimes we are treated better than we deserve to be, this was one of those gigs!Thank You Orangeburg!

• Highlight : The weather was great, the food was fantastic!  We had a little more time than usual with Percy offstage, so plans were made for a fishin' trip down in the bayou. 
• Hiccup : We opened Percy's set with "My Special Prayer".  We had barely made it to the first chorus when the circuit breaker flipped.  We were in total darkness! The sound and stage gear were on the more reliable power so we kept on playing.  Percy kept on singing, he had his eyes closed anyway.  Radar to the rescue!  By the time Percy opened his eyes the lights were back on.

  It's always great to see Rodney, Bertaux and the gang at "The Country Corral".  Thank You King!

• Highlight : During "Wooly Bully" our resident gorilla (Steve) was singing away when there appeared yet another gorilla.  A quick look around the stage confirmed that all of the band was present and accounted for.  If it hadn't been for those funky shoes we would have never known it was Bertaux!  We had no idea he could dance like that!
• Hiccup : Before the show we went to the nearby Chinese restaurant for some supper.  It was pouring the rain.  All of the sudden the windshield wipers stopped working.  Luckily it was a short drive.  Thankfully it had stopped raining by the time we finished playing.

  It's starting to feel a little Christmassy.  Thank You Kingsport!

• Highlight : Freddie trying to keep up with his shagging partner.  She was twice his age and lookin' good!  Check out the Photo Gallery.
• Hiccup :  We were in the "Meadowveiw Convention Center", it's a very big place.  Randy Travis was playing in the room next door.  As soon as we finished our first set we rushed over to see what was left of his show.  The show was over and their trucks were half loaded.  It turns out that his show started an hour before ours.  We were just hanging out with nothing to do when his show started.

  "The Hollow" and Valentines, it doesn't get any better! Thank You York!

• Highlight : Special guest Melissa Reaves sounded great!  She's Patsy Cline, Janis Joplin and "Tony the Tiger" all rolled up into one.
• Hiccup : Melissa knew allot of the songs we did and some we didn't.  "Crazy" was a song that we decided to try even though we've never played it.  Melissa and her guitar were really all the song needed.  We figured we'd follow along behind her.  The song came up and her guitar went out, she turned to John and said give me a G and off she went.  By the end of the first verse we were in, by the end of the song we were in touch. Check it out!

  Two nights with Percy!  What a weekend! Thank You Gastonia!

• Highlight : Can't pick one.  This was Percy's first performance since he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.  As Gastonia's mayor pointed out while giving Percy the key to the city, he wasn't in New York or Los Angeles he was with us in Gastonia!  We had time to visit and hear all the "behind the scenes" stories of his incredible experience.  His wife Rosa joined us for a few songs and we were privileged to have Honey and Ashley singing back-up for us. Charlie, Dean, Cecil and the whole gang at "Dino's", as always, made us feel right at home.  It was just a great weekend all around!
• Hiccup : It was as hassle free a gig as it gets.  Sure, we had to do a little bit of soldering.  We flipped a couple of breakers, but only as we hit the final notes.  John got a little confused and announced that "Harley Hogg And The Rockers" would be up after a short break.  Hey John, Percy's here tonight! Remember? 

 Click and the gang at Carolina Harley-Davidson know how to throw a party. Thank You Gastonia!

• Highlight : Big, loud, shiny Harleys everywhere!  We've played Hog Rallies all over the country (including Daytona Beach).  This was as fine of collection of Harleys as we've ever seen.
• Hiccup : We polished up the Harley, put in fresh spark plugs, and filled it with gas.  Upon arrival we threaded the big band truck (with Harley in tow) through hundreds of bikes, risking the mother of all dominoes!  Showtime came and we couldn't get it started.  Luckily Click loaned us one, he had a few to spare!

 When this city was named they knew what they were talking about! Thank You King!

• Highlight : We've been playing at "The Country Corral" for over 15 years.  It's still a thrill!
• Hiccup : Miss Melissa was joining us so before the first set we discussed who would use which mike on each song.  Sure enough, on the very first song the wireless mike in the center self-destructed.  Oh well, it's things like this that keep us on our toes!

 We've never played at "The Pour House" before, but hopefully we will again. Thank You Raleigh!

• Highlight : Mary Ann (the promoter) fed us a wonderful home cooked dinner.  Jack (the house soundman) made the sound check quick and easy as pie.  Percy, as always, was a delight!
• Hiccup : No problems at all until the ride home.  Some cranked-up truck driver in an eighteen-wheeler doing about 90mph dern near ran us off the road.  Actually, he did run us off the road!

 A dentist convention in the beautiful Smokey Mountains,  Thank You Gatlinburg!

• Highlight : Dr. Joe and Rick joining us onstage as the "Blues Brothers"!  Check out the "Photo Gallery".
• Hiccup : This wasn't a gig at which we used the Harley so we weren't supposed to open the show with "Born To Be Wild".  That didn't stop John! Old habits are hard to break!

 We now know why they call it "Fun Days"!  Thank You Mosheim!

• Highlight : Soul Man Bubba!  "The HoneyBeans" Ashley Bean and Honey McClish singing like angels.
• Hiccup : Before we started we had all kinds of mysterious technical problems with various equipment.  We braced ourselves for a long night, but nothing bad happened.  We lost our lights a couple of times but didn't have to play in the dark very long thanks to "Terry" the fast acting breaker flipping dude!

 We dodged the rain and rocked the street! Thank You Forrest City!

• Highlight : Elton John and Elvis Presley were there, so that's was pretty cool!  Everyone treated us great and we had a big time!
• Hiccup : Rain, rain, rain.  Actually, about the only time it didn't rain was when we were playing. 
  It poured down on the trip in as well as the trip back.  It rained right before we played, right after we finished and in between our sets.

 We weren't so lucky this time. We sure wish we could have played.  Sorry Greeneville!

• Highlight : We were pumped!  We had some new equipment, new songs and "The Honeybeans" to sing back-up.  We had even coordinated a grand finale with the firework guys.
• Hiccup : It was less than a couple of hours before show time when the storm hit.  We put tarps over the PA cabinets, turned monitors face down, and pulled instruments to the back of the stage.  Then the bottom fell out.  The wind blew a stand with a rack of lights across the stage.  A flying lid beaned Radar in the head.  There was no place far enough back on the stage to escape the deluge.  The monitors were now laying face down in two inches of standing water.  Power supplies (by now unplugged) were under water.  Amps had water dripping out of them. An hour later there was still no electricity. There was just no way we could have played and we hate it.

 It's been 14 years since we last performed at the "Oasis Shrine Temple".  Thank You Charlotte!

• Highlight : Hats off to the "American Indian Children" and their "Friendship Dance"! Percy had been wanting to do "Blue Diamond" from his latest CD "Shining Through The Rain". We played it for the first time Friday night, that was fun.  John got to sing a verse, he and Percy had it goin' on!
• Hiccup : Everything went pretty smooth, but John did forget to bring his tux.

 They roped off downtown and the whole city partied down!  Thank You Gastonia!

• Highlight : Big enthusiastic crowd! Another highlight was the hiccup!
• Hiccup : We were hanging out in the dressing room before the show.  John was getting ready for "Disco Duck".  A waitress with some food for Gregg knocks on the door, someone hollers "come in".  She really didn't know what to think about John, standing in the corner, wearing only orange pantyhose!

 Two years in a row!  How 'bout that Chili!  Thank You Greeneville!

• Highlight : The "HoneyBeans" were with us, that's always fun.  We did a couple of songs we hadn't performed before, that helps keep us real.  There was "Pudding" the Civil War Guy.  The "Disco Duck" with that big dog was a classic!
• Hiccup : The schedule was extremely tight, the windows of opportunity small but we're professionals, so no biggee.  John had to make a run for some spark plugs  for the ol' Harley but that's not really a "hiccup" just a mission to accomplish. There was a "funky hum" (sometimes they happen) but we outsmarted it.

 "Smoky Mountain Bike Week" is one beautiful experience!  Thank You Fontana!

• Highlight : The "Fontana Jam" played great.  The mountains, the bikes, the weather, the food and the people were all just awesome!  Four year old Drew make a guest appearance.  Who was that "Soul Man"? 
• Hiccup : A couple of the horn players that live in Bill's rig (there's a bunch  of them in there) decided to take a break in the middle of the first set.  John's going to take the soldering iron to them.  I'm sure they'll act better in the future!

 The "Rock Barn" rocked Saturday night! Thank You Hickory!

•  Highlight : Josh came up and sang "Drift Away", that was a pleasant surprise.  The hardest working man in show business, James Brown, made his debut appearance!
•  Hiccup : The dressing room was right behind the stage.  When the stage was put up the dressing room door was open.  After we had set up all the stage gear we realized the stage prohibited us from closing the dressing room door.  Oh well, at least we're not shy!

 It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!  Thank You Kingsport!

• Highlight : The Meadow View Convention Center was a busy place.  Benny Wilson was in the room next to us.  Jo Dee Messina was in the room on the other side.  The crowd was enthusiastic and fun!
• Hiccup : Not much to complain about, we could always pick on John ... naah!  Radar lost his hat.

      1/14/06 King NC

 "The Country Corral" was packed for Percy!  Thank You King!

• Highlight : Percy was in rare form, he was more enthusiastic than ever!  He's doing really well.  His health is good, his voice is strong.  It's always a pleasure!
• Hiccup : We took the stage at 9:30 with Harley Hogg and the Rockers, that's a little early for those guys.  Percy was on a tight schedule so we had to drop several songs to get Percy on in time.  We had some new songs we didn't get to play.  Stay tuned for some "Kool and the Gang", "Eric Clapton", "Los Lonely Boys" and "Steeley Dan".

 A black tie affair for the Chamber of Commerce! Thank You Asheboro!

• Highlight : We got to play some new songs that were well received. Bryon got a new set of sparkly silver drums.  The kick drum really kicked!  The food was great and we didn't scratch the beautiful hardwood floor at the "Pinewood Country Club"!
• Hiccup : The snow was falling all the way there, but the show must go on. Our website banner behind us fell off the wall (see the photo gallery), Bill caught it ... with his head! 

 Let's just say that "Gilligan's Island" is a rowdy place! Thank You Chesterfield!

• Highlight : Any night with Percy is a highlight in itself!  As we neared the end of "You've Got A Way With Love" off of the record "Blue Nights", we noticed that Percy wasn't quite ready to finish.  When the last notes finally faded Percy turned around to us, as we opened our eyes, smiled and said "that was nice".
• Hiccup : It was one of those days that just fought us all the way.  There were detours, accidents and wrong turns on the way in.  Tying into the electricity was a bear.  Space was tight and the monitor board was exposed to the audience, so naturally someone set a beer on it.  They turned off Gregg's rig for good measure.  Oh well, it was still fun!

 Playing at "Dino's" is like coming home!  Thank You Gastonia!

• Highlight : Percy told us that he wants to make a live CD with us! Stay tuned.
• Hiccup :  After the first set we added an extra microphone for Percy.  Seconds before Percy came on Radar couldn't get it to work, John to the rescue!

 The brand new "Godfrey's" is first class, it's great to be back in town!  Thank You Hickory! 

• Highlight : Mike Godfrey sang "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You", which we learned by downloading it to Radar's cell phone in the dressing room.  He sounded better than Elvis!  We recorded the show to get the kinks worked out for a live Percy CD!  Right now he's working on a Gospel CD and we may be involved with that as well! Stay tuned!
• Hiccup : While trying to track down a wicked buzz (during sound check) Gregg unplugged the lights.  The lights, as it turns out, were not causing the problem. When we began our first set (before Percy) we were in the dark!  Radar to the rescue!

 "The Country Corral" is one of the few places we've been playing for over 15 years! Thank You King!

• Highlight : Was that Rodney singing bass (from the DJ booth) on the Sam Cooke tune?  The Harley cranked on the first try, that was cool!  "How Far is Heaven?" went long, that was fun!
• Hiccup : Bill lost his monitor for most of the first set, he kicked butt anyway!

 "Fun Days" in Tennessee is fun!  Thank You Mosheim!

• Highlight : The "Honeybeans" were back again this year singing like angels and looking just as heavenly!  Bubba also made an appearance.  The weather couldn't have been better!  Old friends from the "Starburst" days were there as well as family from New Jersey.
• Hiccup : John lives right down the road from Mosheim so we came to his house a day early.  The band truck with the Harley trailer is a fairly big rig so there wasn't much room to turn around.  After a couple of failed attempts to back up into the wet front yard, Gregg tried to make a circle in an adjacent field.  As he eased around a wood pile, nervous as can be (the band truck isn't exactly an SUV), he heard someone yell.  Thinking he was about to get into trouble he stopped.  That was that!  With the back end of the truck bottomed out it wasn't going anywhere without help.  Luckily John has friends with tractors nearby.  Thirty minutes later we were on our way.

 "Davis Valley Winery", in the mountains of Virginia, is vintage paradise!  Thank You Rural Retreat!

• Highlight : We were wined and dined! The grounds were beautiful, acres of grapes and pastures of buffalo.  The wine was great as well as the buffalo burgers!  Rusty and Ruth were awesome host.  Little Peyton was a hoot!
• Hiccup : Nestled in a valley was an amphitheater that we were supposed to play in.  It would have been really cool if we could have, but it rained.  We waited until the last second for it to stop but the weather doesn't always cooperate.  We moved to a sheltered area and partied on, the crowd didn't seem to mind!

 It was our first time in the new and majestic "Rotary Pavilion"!  Thank You Gastonia!

• Highlight : We had long time friend Dale Upton and new friend Doris Smith with us and they definitely kicked things up a notch!  The crowd was absolutely fantastic, it's too bad we couldn't have played all night.
• Hiccup : As wonderful as everybody was, this night was one big hiccup.  Maybe it was static electricity in the air or possibly gremlins but nothing worked right.  Bill's rig completely shut down an hour before show time.  With the help of a soldering iron and a precision screwdriver we got it going (sort of), before Gregg's rig went.  By that time Gregg had to go to "emergency bare bones mode" so we could start on time.  As we played the first set, Freddie's rig began to falter ... then the center mike.  We made it through the first set, with groove intact, thanks to an enthusiastic audience.  Then it rained. Big time!  Big, big time, emphasis on the big!

 No rain this time (see above), just fun in the sun!  Thank You Gastonia!

• Highlight : The weather cooperated which is always a highlight when we play outdoors.  Everything worked this time.  Doris and Dale were back sounding great!  Kudos to "Triad" for their opening sets.
• Hiccup : The schedule was a mess.  It was one of those hurry up and wait gigs.  That's cool, it's way better to have too much time than not enough!

 We kicked off the season at the Niswonger performing arts center.  Thank You Greeneville!

• Highlight : What a great venue!  It gets an A for Acoustics, an A for Atmosphere and an A+  for Audience!  Percy had a little extra pep in his step, that's always good.  He sounded great!  The "HoneyBeans", in addition to singing beautifully, were extra elegant in their evening gowns .... Wow!
• Hiccup : Percy kept calling John "Bill".  Then he called Bill "John".  He knew better, but after he got going it was too funny to stop.  John was in his home town and Percy was jerking his chain in front of all his friends!

 Wilmington rocks, there's no other way to put it! Thank You Wilmington!

• Highlight : We caught up with Tom Donaldson who was a "Spontane" in the early eighties and now lives in Wilmington.  Thanks to Adam, Cameron and Amy for making it all easy.  Percy usually recognizes us once or twice during the show. On this night he said we were great friends, he usually says that. He then elaborated and said  "They're like family",  back atcha' Percy, we love ya'!
• Hiccup : Since production was provided for this "mini tour" we didn't bring the big truck and all the equipment. John didn't bring his wireless transmitter and had to use a cord. While we were playing "Cover Me" (the second song of the set) Percy stepped on the cord and unplugged the guitar! He didn't know it so he stood there (on the cord) with his eyes closed, singing his heart out, while John's guitar was silent. There was nothing John could do but laugh! 

 "AlleyKatz" is a 100 year old tobacco warehouse and it was smokin'! Thank You Richmond!

• Highlight : Downtown Richmond with it's cobblestone alleys, open markets and elevated trains has an historic charm that is truly heartwarming.  The "Soul Providers" provided some outstanding soul to kick off the night.  They were great guys!  Special thanks to Tamala for coordinating everything. Working with Percy two nights in a row is always fun, we mixed up the set list a bit.  Percy was telling some tales on this night and his voice was particularly strong.
• Hiccup : The dressing room was on the 3rd floor so we didn't want Percy to have to trudge up all those stairs. We held off the limo driver until the last minute, roped off an area backstage and called Percy at the hotel. The Hall of Famer didn't mind a bit. He got out of the limo and onto the stage, smiling the whole way!

      3/3/07 Gastonia, NC

 An enlightening evening of entertainment! Thank You Gastonia!

• Highlight : The kids from the choir were awesome! Thanks to Heidi for all her hard work. Guy from the "Vision" did a great job of pulling the whole thing together.
• Hiccup : As soon the curtain closed on the preceding band, we took the stage.  As we began to plug in our instruments and move other instruments out of the way we heard "ladies and gentlemen the Spontanes"! We sent John out front to stretch for us.  Soon after we were set to go.

 Standing room only at "Godfrey's Place"! Thank You Hickory!

• Highlight : Rosa (Percy's wife) got some bling bling from Percy so he dedicated "Big Blue Diamonds" to her. She joined Percy for a coupla' songs and sounded great!
• Hiccup : Something about a compressor and a cord or some such, but the buzz was so bad we had to stop the first set midway to resolve it.  At least we got the kinks worked out before Percy came on.

 Ol' Charlie has kept "Dino's" the place to be for...ever! Thank You Gastonia!

• Highlight : Percy was tellin' stories in the dressing room, that's always fun. Doris, Dale and Funicia     sang like birds. The crowd was great and Percy was particularly strong!
• Hiccup : Percy introduced a song ("Going Home") that we didn't know! Next time Percy, next time!

 Fun, Fun Funfest!! Thank you Mosheim!

• Highlight : Third year in a row, what a privilege! Bubba was back! Honeybeans! Old friends from way back!
• Hiccup : At the last minute our fearless leader Bill (Harley Hogg himself) was struck lame. Couldn't walk.  Mangled his hip. He didn't make the trip but is fine now.

 A beautiful night at the "Blackmon Amphitheater"! Thank You Mt. Airy!

• Highlight : Bill's back!  The weather co-operated nicely!  The kids were great!
• Hiccup : While giving a plug to "Shelton Wines", who was present and serving, John referred to them as "Shelton Wings"!  He's such a kidder!

 Percy Party! Wining and dining at  Lu Mil Vineyards. Thank You Dublin!

• Highlight : Great food, great accommodations, great people And Percy's kickin'!
• Hiccup : It can all be summed up in two words: running late! Between the horrendous Charlotte traffic and some poor planning everyone was late ... except Percy! The show however, was on time.

 High on a mountain, jammin' in the clouds! Thank You Boone!

• Highlight : Our friend Doris sang a few songs with us and sounded awesome! "Hound's Ears" is one beautiful place, we even had a waterfall!
• Hiccup : Backing that big ol' truck down a golf cart road on the side of a rock cliff was a bitch!

 Breaking the record in attendance! Thank You Durham!

• Highlight : Everyone was working extra hard to make sure we had all we needed.  Percy was really pumped after the show, he said he was feeling it big. The road crew stashed a camera at the back of the stage, the sound is not very representative of the mix the audience was hearing but if you want to check it out, click here.
• Hiccup : Buddy Guy was easy as pie to play with but ya' wanna' know a secret? His stage manager is a complete as... butt!

 Shriners: all they do is good! Thank You Hickory!

• Highlight : We were presented a beautiful plaque by the Potentate for our years of entertainment for this marvelous organization! Thank You! Whitney Starnes joined us for a cople of songs and did great. The "Honeybeans" were with us, yeehaw!
• Hiccup : Bill, our fearless leader, was under the weather and couldn't make the gig ... bummer!

 Percy at "Dino's" is getting to be an annual event! Thank You Gastonia!

• Highlight : This was a last minute gig, Percy happened to be in the area and Charlie took advantage. We were happy to get the call and fortunate to be able to comply. The "Band of Gold" opened and did a great job. Their good guys (and girl) and made it real easy on us.
• Hiccup : It happened again! Percy introduced "Goin' Home" and we didn't know it. Last year he slipped up but this time we should have been ready, next time we will be ... we promise!

 We've lost track of how many years in a row we've had a "Funfest"! Thank You Mosheim!

• Highlight : Seriously, how many years has it been,  four... five? It's always a pleasure! There was the "Honeybeans" singing, "Big Bubba" hamming it up and Bryon wearing a pink lace scarf, what more could you ask for?
• Hiccup : Gregg lost the keys to the truck. The morning started with an expensive visit from a locksmith. The show must go on!

 Just like old times! Thank You Gastonia, NC!

• Highlight : Nice crowd! Good weather! Old friends! More "Honeybeans"! The P.A. even worked!
• Hiccup : Elvis was waiting in the wings. Bryon kicked off "C.C. Rider" with his thundering drums. Gregg, after the four measure drum intro, launched in to "Wipeout"!

 It does a body good to get up on a mountain and sing! Thank You Blowing Rock, NC!

• Highlight : Just a plain ol' good time, what else can we say? The coffee was dynamite!
• Hiccup : We weren't sure that "You Dropped The Bomb On Me" would be well received so we dropped it from the set list. John played it anyway. He knew what he was doing, it was well received! Ashley barely made it to the gig on time but "barely" isn't a bad word.