Armed with 20 vocalists, six band members and four crew members impersonating the legends of Motown, RPM Crown Productions brought their Hitsville USA Legends of Motown Tribute Show to Thunder Valley Casino Resort on Saturday. There was a sold-out crowd of diehard Motown fans there to enjoy some of the greatest hits from the Motown era. It was perplexing that more people weren’t up on their feet during some of the performances. However, after each performer finished their set they were met with more than a few people giving them a standing ovation. The all-star lineup included acts such as The Four Tops, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and even a brief break from Motown for a little bit of

I’ve been a fan of the Beach Boys since I was about 10 years old when I heard my older brother playing   “Surf’s Up” in the garage. At times, they are my favorite band, even over the Beatles. I have been thinking about going to see them for the last three years now, as there’s nothing like a Beach Boys concert, but I wasn’t sure what it would be like or if it would even be worth it. Well, time marches on, and we can not have the original Beach Boys even if we wanted to. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is a good, fun band with talented members on board. There are now three factions of this famous band and they all seem to be very professional and know what they are doing. Bri

The purple one was in-the-house at Thunder Valley Casino Resort Friday. Okay, not The Purple One (as in Prince), but the 55 year old standup comedian Sinbad, who was decked out in a freshly tailored purple shirt. I also wouldn’t say “in-the-house,” more like in-the-tent, since it was held in Thunder Valley’s Holiday Pavilion. While it’s a tent, it’s extremely spacious and exquisitely decorated, complete with several bars, restrooms and a whole lotta seats. Sinbad put on a great show, playing to a full house of young and old alike. As soon as he hit the stage, he started talking about how this was such a great location for a casino like Thunder Valley. There’s nothing around for miles ex

It may be winter, but the warm sand and cool surf are calling, and what better way to ring in 2012 than a trip down to Kokomo with the legendary Beach Boys. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and recent California Hall of Fame inductees will be showcasing their fun in the sun songs that are set against a backdrop of surfing, girls and cars at Thunder Valley Casino 's Toast of The Coast-New Year’s Eve 2011 Celebration” in the Holiday Pavilion this Saturday in Lincoln.   Founded in Hawthorne, Calif. in 1961, The Beach Boys were originally comprised of the three Wilson brothers: Brian, Carl and Dennis, their cousin Mike Love, and school friend Al Jardine. Neighbor David Marks joined the group

Sixty-two-year-old veteran rocker Eddie Money brought his Jingle Bell Rock tour to Thunder Valley Casino Resort on Thursday. Scheduled to appear was former Foreigner frontman Lou Gramm and former Jefferson Starship lead singer Mickey Thomas. The day before their performance at Thunder Valley, it was announced that Gramm would not be performing for the remaining tour due to acute laryngitis, so Gramm was not in attendance. As the concert kicked off with Money and Thomas taking the stage, the audience immediately started chanting, “Lou! Lou! Lou!” Money responded by explaining the situation and said they had added a couple of songs to their setlist to make up for the missing Gramm. This wa

A few weeks ago I covered the Chippendales out at Thunder Valley Casino Resort. If you recall, I really started to question my “maleness,” since I kind of enjoyed the show. So to test my maleness I decided to take in a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event. It just so happened that Gladiator Challenge, a promoter of all things MMA, was hosting an event out at Thunder Valley Casino Resort. There were sixteen fights on tap, so I was going to get my fill of fights. It was nice of Gladiator Challenge to have some really nice young ladies walking around in between rounds letting us know what round it was. I found them extremely helpful. For those of you who may not know, an MMA event consists of tw

Wow. What the hell happened out at Thunder Valley Casino Resort Friday night? It seems soft rock group Air Supply, playing to a packed house of lovesick fans, actually came out and rocked the house. I know. I still don’t believe it, but it’s all true! It was bedlam, I tell you. “Here I Am” thinking “Sweet Dreams.” What are the “Chances” I would find myself in a “Sanctuary” where “Me Like You” can feel “The Power of Love” “Everywhere,” only to have a real rock concert break out. Seriously! Air Supply started out innocently enough with “Even the Nights are Better,” and then segueing into “Every Woman in the World.” OK so far, but as veteran performers Russell Hitchcock (lead singer) and

OMG! I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to write this after the Chippendale’s performance at Thunder Valley Casino Resort Wednesday night. It was only after taking a cold shower and having a glass – scratch that – a bottle of wine that I was able to start thinking clearly. What? No! The water heater went out and a “glass” of wine is how I like to end my day. My intent on writing this is to warn any unsuspecting women who may decide to take in a show like the Chippendales’. Don’t. Seriously, nobody liked the show! It was quite obvious that every woman in the place, which was around 99.9 percent of the people, couldn’t stand the show. I couldn’t believe it! I was completely dumbfoun

Herman’s Hermits with Peter Noone played to a full house of old diehard Herman’s Hermits fans at Thunder Valley Casino Resort’s Pano Hall Sunday night. That’s not to say everyone in the audience was old, just older than most. The Noonatics, those who carry around vinyl albums and old Herman’s Hermits 8-tracks, may have known what they were in for, but I sure as bloody hell wasn’t. The 64 year old rocker joined the British band as the lead singer (Herman) at the young age of 15. You do the math. I went to see Herman’s Hermits to relax and enjoy some oldies but goodies, so when Noone took the stage and started singing, “I’m Into Something Good,” I was thinking, “Ahhhh, this is perfect.”

The Cirque Shanghai’s Bai Xi put on a breathtaking show Thursday and Friday night at Thunder Valley Casino Resort, playing to a standing room-only crowd both nights. Bai Xi translates to “100 amazing acts.” However, I only counted 16, but they were 16 amazing displays of physical strength and grace. The show was full of spectacular colors, talented young men, women and a number of young girls. It was a magical night with some mind-boggling performances and a variety of visually stunning costumes. As the show opened, the performers started in the back of Pano Hall dressed in spectacularly colorful costumes. Working their way through the audience with a winking parade-style dragon and wavi

Seventies musicmakers Midnight Star and A Taste of Honey packed Pano Hall at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort Friday night, keeping the audience on their feet for most of the show. A late start didn’t dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm as Grammy Award-winning A Taste of Honey, featuring original band member Janice Marie Johnson, stormed the stage. Johnson was decked out in a pink sequin dress and high heels and sporting her bass guitar. As soon as the band kicked into gear, the audience was on their feet, as the band played all their hits like “I’m Talking About You” and “Disco Dancin’.” After a quick wardrobe change into an orange kimono, Johnson sang her hit song “Sukiyaki” as the audience

Thunder Valley Casino and Resort kicked off the Halloween spirit Thursday night with the sexy Lodi native and star of the reality TV show “The Girl Next Door,” Bridget Marquardt. DJ D-wrek from MTV’s “Wild ‘N Out” was — you guessed it — the DJ, and Tone Loc made a special guest appearance. Pano Hall at Thunder Valley Casino was transformed into a nightclub, complete with semi-private lounge areas, a couple of dance floors, a popular DJ, a well-stocked bar and a few hot babes thrown in for good measure. Most of the attendees dressed for the occasion. Some wore evening wear, while others wore their favorite Halloween costume. Myself: jeans and t-shirt (just thought you’d want to know). Ma

The Asian invasion was back at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort this weekend with the Vietnamese Autumn Breeze bringing some of the biggest names in Vietnamese entertainment. Most of the show was spoken in Vietnamese, but there was a scattering of English thrown in for good measure. Due to a pretty cold evening, at least compared to recent nights this week, the audience was somewhat thin. Checking inside, it was obvious that many concertgoers made a last-minute decision to try their luck inside the casino rather than brave the elements outside. Kicking off the show were the emcees for the evening, Leyna Nguyen and Trinh Hoi. As in past Asian shows I’ve attended, it was fun trying to figu

Lynyrd Skynyrd arrived with both barrels blazing promoting their latest album, “God and Guns,” in their Florida’s Finest tour at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort Thursday night. The band entertained and delighted a full house of die-hard Skynyrd fans – a.k.a. the Skynyrd Nation. It was obvious that their music is enjoyed by a number of generations, as I watched young and old stand up and cheer. Crowds of non-ticket holders gathered in the parking lot area and on the sidewalks outside the amphitheater. When they took the stage, the crowd erupted into cheers, with the band kicking it off with “Working for MCA.” As they were leading into “I Ain’t the One,” lead singer Johnny Van Zant said h

The “King of the Accordion” and four-time Grammy winner Ramon Ayala played to norteño and tejano fans from both sides of the border, with most fans singing along to every song. A mostly older crowd jammed into Thunder Valley Casino and Resort to watch their old favorite perform. There were a few younger fans peppered throughout, enjoying the music just as much as their elders. Ayala arrived on stage with his trademark green, white and red accordion. The crowd erupted in cheers and several individuals made their way up to the stage to pay tribute to the man. Ayala was joined on stage by his band, known as Bravos del Norte. Band members were Mario Marichalar (bajo sexton and vocals), Fiden

The Human League teamed up with Men Without Hats at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort Wednesday night, playing to a less than packed house. Both groups are synthpop bands who got their start in the early ’80s. The Human League has had a number of hit songs since and in March of this year released their 10th album, “Credo,” 30 years after their first album. Men Without Hats kicked off the evening playing a number of their hit songs, including "Moonbeam," "Pop Goes the World" and "The Safety Dance." The only original band member, Ivan Doroschuk, came out donning a cowboy hat. He was bathed in red or blue light almost the entire time on stage. Doroschuk was very energetic, dancing back and

Friday night was quite the ride down memory lane for everyone who listened to the radio back in the ’80s. The Fixx, Wang Chung and Naked Eyes all played to a packed Pano Hall at Thunder Valley Casino Resort. You could say this was a British invasion of sorts, since all three bands hail from England. They were a smashing success in the ’80s, all with No. 1 hits. It was quite an impressive lineup, with only one concern: What time will I get home? There’s a whole lotta hits to be played from each band. Naked Eyes, best known for their first single, “Always Something There to Remind Me," kicked off the evening with “Voices in My Head.” The band’s original members were Pete Byrne on vocals an

Huey Lewis & The News rocked Thunder Valley Casino and Resort on Friday, playing to a sold-out crowd of over 3,500 cheering fans. It was quite impressive watching as no fewer than 10 people (The News) stormed the stage while a booming heartbeat played in the background. As the crowd cheered, Lewis arrived onstage singing “The Heart of Rock & Roll” with the crowd joining in. The next seven songs were off their new CD, “Soulsville,” which are soul cover songs from the Stax Records catalog. This earned a polite applause from the crowd with some shouts of “Hip to Be Square” and “Heart and Soul.” Starting with “Jacob’s Ladder,” Lewis got a bigger reaction out of the crowd. It was apparent the

Local guitar heroes Brian Wheat and Frank Hannon from the Tesla showed up to see legendary guitarist Peter Frampton play to a full house of hard core fans Saturday at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort. The audience was chanting “Frampton! Frampton!” in anticipation of the start of the show. Just prior to the start, William Shatner’s voice came on the loud speaker to explain the no photography or video policy, although even before the end of the performance, videos were making their way on to Youtube. Some of you may recall Tesla’s “Modern Day Cowboy” making it onto Guitar Hero 6. Well, they followed their guitar hero, who was featured in Guitar Hero 5 with "Do You Feel Like We Do" off his

The Doobie Brothers performed at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort to a sold-out crowd Friday night. For those of you who don’t know the Doobie Brothers, they are rock group who formed in the ‘70s and were originally called Pud. Yes, I said Pud. One can only thank the heavens they decided to change their name to the Doobie Brothers. And yes, the name comes from that stuff referred to as pot. When smoked it’s also referred to as a joint, reefer, stick, roach, or a doobie. Hey, can you spare a doobie, brother? I know. I crack myself up, too. Opening with “Jesus Is Just Alright,” the eight-man band consisting of two drummers, three guitarists, bassist, saxophonist and keyboardist, kicked it