JOHNNY BEE BADANJEK: THE ROCKETS OPEN FOR J GEILS

The BEE, Jimmy McCarty and Marvin

HERE IS BEE'S STORY:

We pulled in around 3:30 in the afternoon for sound check. And Danny Klein the bass player for J.Geils was on our side of the stage and also the background singers where there as well. The dressing room was just down the hall. J.Geils were waiting to do their check. Everybody was waiting for the High School Marching band to pull up.


J Geils Band

Once they arrived. Peter and the rest of the band took to the stage and started warming up. They added the up town horns and the background singers for this show and an extra guitar player. Peter put everybody through a let's go and get ready sound check and then the Rockets hit the stage for our sound check.


Bee in Action...

We started sound checking backstage while J.Geils was out front sound checking, and so most of our stuff was done and it cut down on time. Once the sound crew rolled the drum riser out. We where ready to go. Smashed out a few tunes and went and had dinner with both bands telling jokes & stories about the old days.


The BEE and ME (photo Ivan Kral)

We've been touring so long our first tour bus was a Covered Wagon. Ha,ha,ha. Then the fans started coming in, the place was fillin' up and it was time to take the stage. The Rockets played a hit filled short set of Michigan favorite's. And we went over time so we had to get our butts off the stage and the crowd was now waitin' for J.Geils.

The band took the folks on a hit filled set of Geils favorites and then a bunch of their rendition's of soul classic's. Who-yeah, Peter's famous shout and the crowd would holler back. Who-yeah. After the show Peter was walking around heading my way, and I called out his name because I wanted to thank him and the band for letting The Rockets open, and he stopped over and we took a bunch of pictures together.


Jimmy McCarty and Jim Edwards (photo Dan Sultana)

Ben Edmonds (famous writer) came by and he jumped in on a few shots. It was a fantastic night. I talked with Marty their drummer and Magic Dick and everybody in their band are just terrific. Then I made my way up to the VIP bar and all the people went crazy telling me how good the show was and that they loved both bands. I took a bunch of pictures with the fans and danced the night away. Whammer-jammer!