05.29.2008: Rock ‘n’ Soul Sock Hop Benefit Tonight Here at KCRC!
“An old-fashioned benefit Rock ‘n’ Soul Sock Hop”
featuring two great local Rock ‘n’ Soul bands — Lisa Jackson
& Shades of Gray and On the Rocks — is
scheduled for tonight, Thursday, May 29th, 2008, here at KCRC from 8 p.m. to 10
p.m.
The double-bill concert benefits our KCRC Youth Program. Tickets are $5 for Bleachers, $7 for Floor, and $25 for Balcony VIP (includes food and drinks). Corporate/private party balcony sponsorships are available. Get your tickets here at KCRC (150 N. Indiana Ave., Kankakee, Illinois) or CDA (199 S. East Ave., Kankakee, Illinois). For more information, call 815-933-3352.
R&B vs. R&R 4/2007 Concert Wows Audience! Review/Photos here!
‘Everyday People’ 2005 R&B Concert Is Another Smash Success!
Reviewed
by Amy Walker; 
Video clips
on-line!
05.12.2005 Tonight’s “Everyday People”
R&B concert at the downtown Kankakee Paramount Theatre
was another smash success! And the B in
R&B doesn’t just stand for Blues — it also stands for Benefit. As before, proceeds go to the Kankakee
Community Resource Center Youth Programs.
At right is the empty stage moments before it was filled with the sights
and sounds of “Everyday People”!
05.15.2005 Update The first video clips from the “Everyday People”
concert are now on line! Just click the
Video++ button at
the bottom of this window. Current
selections are best viewed on a broadband connection; but they’re worth the
wait if you still have dial-up...and something to do while they’re downloading! More clips and shorter versions should be
available later in the week, along with some still shots of the performances,
so come back soon!
05.18.2005 Update The May 12th “Everyday People” concert
review is in! We didn’t want it to be
biased, so, since noted local music critic James Walker emceed the show, we
didn’t have him write the review this time.
Instead, the review was written by Amy Walker:
“Everyday People” Concert Raises Money — And the Roof!
by Amy Walker
Move over, door-to-door candy-bar hawking! “Everyday People”
took fundraising to a new level — the stratosphere — with its concert on
Thursday, May 12th. While raising money
to support the Kankakee Community Resource Center, the group also managed to
raise the roof! The Paramount Theater
reverberated with the sounds of soul —audience members singing along as they
were dazzled by Brad Meitzner’s spotlight effects. Vocalists Carol Billadeau, Melody Reed-Winfield, Victor Brown, Ed
“Crash” Oberlander and friends showed that “Everyday People” can help make a
difference in the Kankakee community. James Walker was the emcee for this
event, with Harold Topliff and Jason Hayden as soundmen. Everyone gave it their all!
This soulful night started at 8
p.m. with Carol Billadeau crooning “Cry Me a River.” Her torchy rendition could be the next James Bond movie theme,
and the violet-backlit stage perfected the song’s ambience. With “Everyday People” director Gary
Reynolds always great on drums, guests Tyke Hendershot and Andy Battrell worked
their magic on upright bass and guitar, respectively. Next, the spotlights morphed from cool purple to fire-engine red
for Melody Reed-Winfield’s sultry solo “Fever.” David “Top of the Hill” King backed her up on trumpet. Brad Meitzner took us all the way back to
the ‘70s with his vivid backdrop for “Is U Is or Is U Ain’t My Baby” — Ed
Oberlander sang lead, and Steve “Jawbreaker” Wunder was a welcome addition on
sax. Together, these three opening
numbers revealed the themes for the concert’s songs: poignant romance,
hot-blooded sensuality, and sing-along fun.
Speaking of sing-alongs, Victor
Brown got the crowd rolling with Wilson Pickett’s “634-5789 (Soulsville,
USA).” He did this Motown hit sweet
justice, and his vocals on “Knock on Wood,” “My Girl,” and “Mustang Sally” were
also superb. He turned Ray Charles’s
signature songs “What’d I Say?” and “Hit the Road, Jack” into dance-alongs as
well as sing-alongs! The audience
boogie-woogied whether in their seats or standing up.
Melody Reed Winfield’s finest solo
was “At Last” by Etta James. Everyone
cheered and gave her a standing ovation!
Carol Billadeau provided crisp vocals on “Sing a Song” and “Chain of
Fools.” And we can’t forget Steve Gall
on electric bass, Jerry Leuzenicki on saxophone, and Paul Germano on trombone —
great performances by all!
Come participate in our future events, and make some “Everyday People” proud!
But, for now, the show is over, so please read the note
below before you leave this page! (We
don’t want to waste electricity!)
[Now, click the
theater to turn off the lights!]