7.03.2010

THE HOWLING DIABLOS: ANN ARBOR TOP OF THE PARK


Tino Gross

Had no idea I would be attending the Ann Arbor Festival last night! Got a call from Ivan Kral and he offered to come pick me up as my jeep is sick. So off we went to see one of my most favorite bands The Howling Diablos with Tino Gross.

Usually Johnny BEE Badanjek plays drums with the Diablos but he had a gig playing with The Rockets at the Stars and Stripes Festival in Mt. Clemens which is going on through Monday.


Happy dancers

It was a gorgeous night and not a cloud in the sky. Perfect for an outdoor concert. The crowd was large and in a very joyful mood. There were all ages dancing and singing in the street. The event is still billed as Top of the Park but now it is on the street. The shows used to be held on the roof of a parking structure near the University of Michigan Dental School.

Oddly I have never been to one of these shows. Being that I live here you'd think I would have gone to at least one of these shows! But last night was my first time. It was really fun! I certainly will attend more events here.


Ann Arbor crowd having a blast!

Johnny Evans was like a one man band! He was playing the harmonica then the tambourine, then the saxophone and singing too! Busy guy! He was really fun to watch and I was planted right in front of him for most of the set.


Johnny Evans Harp/Sax and more....

Erik (Evil E) Gustafson guitar

Evil E rocked the place and wow what riffs he brought to the game!



The Festival wall hanging was very cool, wonder who the model was for this?


Jerome Day Drums (currently plays with Mitch Ryder)

Jerome Day sat in for BEE and did a spectacular job. Man he had a gorgeous drum kit. I wondered how the Diablos signature closing song was going to played without BEE but suddenly they announced MURUGA! Oh YES! Now that would take Go Gene Go to a new level!

I recently met Muruga (Steve Booker) at the Gary Grimshaw Benefit at Bohemian House in Detroit. Then I met him again when he sat in with Jim McCarty and the Mystery Train. I loved his drumming so much I shot a little video of it.... Ivan was at that show too.





Surprise Guest! Fantastic drummer percussionist Muruga!

Kimmer's honorary Motor City Rah Rah Pom Pom

Sadly we lost The leader of the Motor City Rah Rah's Julie Hecker this week. So in her honor I left my video camera at home and took my POM POM. I danced to every song in the Diablo's set shaking that pom pom for Julie and her girls. Only Ivan and Tino knew why I had that silver pom pom at the show. I knew Julie was watching and laughing at my bad dancing from the other side.... RIP honey


Fantastic jitterbug dancers!

Tino told me today that this lovely dancer is a jitterbug instructor. I wished I had taken the video cam when I saw them! They really were great dancers. Maybe I should track her down and take lessons. Just imagine Kimmer on Dancing with the Stars! LOL


Kimmer and Ivan Kral with Tino Gross

Ivan and I were having fun. He is shy and of course I am NOT. So I wrangled a passerby to shoot this photo for the blog! Ivan loves the Diablos. I took Ivan, his girlfriend Cindy Hudson and singer Mark Sisto to a Diablos show in Livonia back in the winter. It was a fun show and Susie Forkin of the Rah Rahs and Vivian George were there dancing too.


The Howling Diablos onstage




Awesome bass man Mo Hollis!

Mo is such a great bass man! This show was the first time I could actually get a good shot of him as he is usually behind a big amp, a fence or off stage where I couldn't shoot him! Well here he is!


Tino and Muruga doing Go Gene (Krupa) Go

Such fun watching Tino and Muruga together!


Tino doing his thing!


My autographed Festival Program

Of course I just had to get a playlist or something for all the players to autograph for my collection. Conveniently a nice young man handed me a program!

Thank you guys for the great show and Thank you Ivan for rousting me out of the house to go rock n roll!

Don't forget to get your ticket for Ivan's film screening at the Michigan Theater July 29th! This show will sell out and you don't want to miss the film and this star studded
event!



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2 comments:

LINDA LEXY said...

"Stellar work, Mz Maki, and way to represent!! Love & Peace, Lexy"

susie forkin said...

NICE JOB ON THE DIABLOS STORY!

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