Dick
Clark's American Bandstand Theatre Grand Opening Weekend
4-25-06 Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theatre: First off,
let me say, I’m a geezer – a child of the sixties, so I know rock
and roll. I remember the first time Paul Revere & the Raiders took
the stage (eh, beach) in Dick Clark’s afternoon program, “Where The
Action Is.” I also remember seeing Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield on
Shindig. I know rock and roll. This was the driving force behind my
wife and me attending Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theatre
opening weekend (4/22/2006).
We purchased the combo ticket to see the 8pm show and The Patch
Collection. Because the theatre was so new there was the usual
number of glitches. This is typical of any new venue, so it didn’t
rock our world. Below is our review of the evening including The
Patch Collection and the concert.
We arrived at 6:50pm and collected our tickets. From there we
descended the flight of stairs to the basement. When we reached the
basement, before our eyes was the most impressive collection of
automobiles from 1957. All were pristine and arranged for easy
viewing. The room was decorated and furnished in the same décor as
you’d find a home, gas station, drive-in, and soda shop from 1957.
Every auto manufacturer was represented, and each car was a
convertible. It was truly an awesome excursion back in time. We were
glad we had the foresight to include this with our package.
The concert began promptly at 8pm. Paul Revere at 68 is full of life
and loves what he does. He is so energetic and fun the time he’s on
the stage you’re so engaged that the time literally flies. The music
was dead-on. Although Mark Lindsey is no longer the lead singer,
Darrin Medley (Bill Medley’s son) fills in effortlessly. These guys
are a hoot to watch.
Bill Medley still has pipes. Even while battling allergies, his
trademark sound comes through. A touching moment came when he paid
tribute to his “little brother” Bobby Hatfield. The respect and love
he has for his late singing partner is evident. Helping him on his
great song with Jennifer Warnes, “The Time Of My Life,” was his
daughter, McKenna, via a pre-taped performance by her. Bill and the
band filled in their parts and the song took on life. Bill is a
talent, that even today, must be respected. His performance was
solid.
After the show, both Bill Medley and Paul Revere were available for
autographs. These guys are class acts, and so is Dick Clark’s
American Bandstand Theatre.
-Mike B, Conway AR
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