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#Post#: 774--------------------------------------------------
The Ventures at Busch Gardens...Feb 2012
By: wstagner Date: March 4, 2012, 10:12 pm
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Tom....we're all anxiously awaiting your posting regarding this
amost weeklong E vent.
Don't keepus waitin any longer....pullleeze? ;D
#Post#: 777--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ventures at Busch Gardens...Feb 2012
By: tabalt11 Date: March 4, 2012, 11:29 pm
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Walt- I'll need a few WIND DOWN days but it'll happen this week.
Best approach might be for me to field questions 'cause I can
honestly say having NOW experienced FIVE Ventures related
vacations- the famous 2003 criuse with Los Straitjackets, EPCOT
'08 & '09 & BUSCH GARDENS '11 & '12, I'm starting to
feel & act like a groupie. I'll try to figure out an
interesting appraoch.
This year's Sat. eve. Meet & Greet seemed to win the 'best ever'
award. The Q&A offered lots of interesting questions- just a
matter of replaying the tapes & posting the back & forths. They
played Wed. thru Sat. at 11:30, 1:00 & 3:30 each day. There
were minor song changes along the way & an effort was made to
offer up something different each set.
Jack De Franco, the group's superb stage manager has worked
tirelessly over the past year on the LARGE MONITOR SCREEN
DISPLAY that preceeds the band's arrival on stage. He's
constantly adding- deleting where necessary & keeps it
interesting to the audience. Timing is almost always right on.
There's the customary artist accolades interspered with THE
VENTURES JOURNEY to their rock induction. A park announcer
greets each crowd with details of upcoming park attractions but
never leaves without noting the accomplishments of TODAY'S
GUESTS! Don's toned down a bit this year in the jokes dept.
They're still there but more widely spaced.
He was quick to point out WDR's grammy deservance & mentions the
Casey Kasem trivia question regarding two hits with the same
song. I always get a big kick when THE VENTURES LOGO is
prominent on the large video montage while Nokie is intricately
offering up another blistering rendition of I GOT A WOMAN with
the entire crowd clapping up a storm- remember the tag SURF
BAND! Yeah right!
The final day they treated the crowd to SLEEP WALK, DRIVING
GUITARS & EL CUMBANCHERO. Then there was the first day second
set that had Bob Spalding beltin' out MISERLOU & PETER GUNN
fresh out from behind the curtain intro. So they try their best
at their age to keep us guessing. Don bragged to the crowd
after doing PIPELINE towards the end of one day- "you know next
February I'll be 80 years old & I'm lovin' every minute of the
journey."
That'll do it for now. I'll keep details coming as the week
goes on. The tent-style wooden theater venue easily seats
1000 & is usually crammed for the earliest show. Teenagers do
enter from time to time & sit in the side area fringe seats but
they rise up after just a few songs not seeming to understand
it's their music that's truly forgettable.
#Post#: 780--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ventures at Busch Gardens...Feb 2012
By: oldflogger Date: March 5, 2012, 7:52 am
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Great post and news Tom. Thanks for being a Ventures groupie.
Rich Miller
#Post#: 782--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ventures at Busch Gardens...Feb 2012
By: tabalt11 Date: March 5, 2012, 1:20 pm
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Keeping it going I managed to snare a set list after one of the
shows, then 'all the guys' graciously signed it at the MEET &
GREET. Should've mentioned earlier that 'cause of the park's
appeal to all, there's enough time 'tween shows to catch an
exhibit or two, grab a snack, etc. & it's not uncommon to run
into one or more of the band members. It seems to happen more
often after the final show of the day. For instance Sat.
everyone gathered at the SMOKE HOUSE for a bite to eat before
embarking back to HYATT PLACE for the already pre-arranged FAN
GATHERING. And tho it never happened, Leon, Jeff Green &
myself were just dyin' to go on the new CHEETAH RUN roller
coaster!
Another treat for me was being part of the Thursday evening
dinner out at the OLIVE GARDEN with Nokie & Judy Edwards. The
rumor I heard was that Nokie told Mary Ellen Magee- "Make sure
that guy over there comes along- he's funny." So myself, The
Magee's (John & Mary Ellen), The Green's (Jeff & Julie), Byron
Tietjen & naturally Nokie & Judy along with several others had a
GRAND OLD TIME! And tho I
alerted them to the $12.95 all inclusive dinner special, most
everybody went with something different. Nokie was a most
talkative soul- touchin' on a variety of topics.
So check out SETLIST # 7 below with some extra notes to the
right hand side!
INTRO VIDEO
Certain days the intro & medley would be followed by BUMBLE BEE
or JOURNEY TO THE STARS,
VENTURES MEDLEY then
MR. MOTO. SURF RIDER & OUT OF LIMITS made it into a few shows
as well & CARAVAN
MISERLOU
more times than not! Can only think of one SOUND SNAFU over
the entire four days but the
PETER GUNN
venue isn't a favorite for drummers. Leon 'cause of certain
decibel restrictions must play behind
PENETRATION (guitarists switch) a
plexiglass baricade of sorts which makes the overall sound much
bassier than usual. As MIND
TELSTAR
BOGGLING as his solos are in WIPE OUT & CARAVAN they would
come across perhaps even tighter
LET'S GO
but definetly more brighter sounding were the band allowed to
up the decibel threshold.
SLAUGHTER ON 10TH AVE.
SECRET AGENT MAN
I GOT A WOMAN
HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN
HAWAII -0
PIPELINE (two bridges)
WIPE OUT
#Post#: 821--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ventures at Busch Gardens...Feb 2012
By: jimprice Date: March 9, 2012, 7:40 pm
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Thanks for the great reports, Tom. I am wondering if anyone
recorded the Q&A Session and might be able to help those of us
who couldn't make it get a copy. I always enjoy listening to
their stories and recollections. Of couse I am willing to pay
for costs of making a copy. Thanks again for your reports on the
shows, songs and activities.
#Post#: 823--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ventures at Busch Gardens...Feb 2012
By: tabalt11 Date: March 9, 2012, 8:45 pm
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Jim- Thanks for your kind words. In due time, I'll have a two
hour DVD available which may include more
than just the hour long MEET & GREET. Right now, I'm fresh out
of DVD+RW's & everything revolves
'round a stand alone DVD recorder- not to mention just what
video clips would fill out the disc.
So I'll be back on here once the project is completed with
further details!
#Post#: 992--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ventures at Busch Gardens...Feb 2012
By: tabalt11 Date: April 3, 2012, 12:35 pm
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Thank you James for your interest in this year's TAMPA FUN.
By now you should've rec'd your TAMPA '012 package. For
added enjoyment I included John & Mary Ellen Magee's PIC
CD which covers the four day vacation quite well.
Again, I have TAMPA DVD's for both years if anyone else
is interested-
tabalt11@yahoo.com
#Post#: 993--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ventures at Busch Gardens...Feb 2012
By: tabalt11 Date: April 3, 2012, 2:29 pm
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Having now watched the TAMPA '012 MEET & GREET several times,
thought I'd share some tidbits from the Q&A. As they come to
mind, I'll return & post more.
Question to all members: What was your most embarrasing
moment on stage?
Leon- "In Japan during a concert, 2nd set was to open with
MANCHURIAN BEAT & I
started it off with the HAWAII 5-0 intro instead. After
several blank stares, Don
signaled for me to get it right."
Bob- "Also in Japan, we all know Gerry McGee likes to wander out
in the audience
during HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN. Well I thought I'd be a tad
creative in WIPE
OUT, so when my turn came up for the bass solo, I decided to sit
down on the
left side of the stage while performing it & then couldn't rise
up afterwards."
Nokie- Without speaking, everyone agreed Nokie's never had any
embarrasing
moments on stage.
Don- His embarrasing moment was relayed by Nokie. "Back in an
early 80's show
at the Resada country Club in Ca. Don had plugged a horn into
his guitar amp to
use for the beginning of WHITTIER BOULEVARD & when he stepped to
the mic &
led in with 'Let's take a trip down Whittier Blvd' then went to
press the horn, he
pulled all cables out of the amp & silence prevailed."
At one point early in the Q&A, Don layed his hand on Nokie's
shoulder to deliver a
compliment: "I just want everyone here to know that if this
man right here hadn't
agreed to join us in the early 60's when he did (at a tavern
mind you where they got
paid a whole $5 a night), at best Bob & I (where we were
musically at the time) might've
been at best a four album duo." Tremendous applause followed
that one!
That'll do it for now.
#Post#: 994--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ventures at Busch Gardens...Feb 2012
By: wstagner Date: April 3, 2012, 6:48 pm
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Don- His embarrasing moment was relayed by Nokie. "Back in an
early 80's show
at the Resada country Club in Ca. Don had plugged a horn into
his guitar amp to
use for the beginning of WHITTIER BOULEVARD & when he stepped to
the mic &
led in with 'Let's take a trip down Whittier Blvd' then went to
press the horn, he
pulled all cables out of the amp & silence prevailed."
YES and this is why the sound for The Ventures Live in LA 1980
LaserDisc was overdub/afterthe fact. I have one track....where
Nokie's lead was NOT overdubbed. I dunno why they coudln't have
just fixed Don's part. Makes no cents 2 me.
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