Roger Fisher, formally of "Heart" delighted fans with his passion and classic rock guitar work. - Photo: Greg Roth SME/SMI
By Greg Roth SME / SMI
It was a night to celebrate friendship, community, music and life. On a Sunday autumn night, in front of a capacity crowd in a local club in Woodville, Washington, music legends Alan White, the longtime drummer of "Yes" and 3 former members of Seattle’s own “Heart”, along with an army of some of the most talented local musicians in the region, came together and did the thing they love for wonderful cause, music education.
A trip down memory lane...
For fans that came to hear some of their favorite FM rock staples, the night did not disappoint. One of the shows highlights was Alan White, along with former Heart bassist Steve Fossen and guitarist Roger Fisher with Craig Webb on guitar, John Sindelman on keyboards with Arny Bailey singing lead and Shelly Tomberg, Sally Annabella and Karen Ford ("Shelley and the Curves") handling the backup vocal chores, performing one of the biggest hits from Yes, “Owner of a Lonely Heart”. The crowd that filled every inch of Big Daddy’s, packed the dance floor and faced the stage creating an “arena concert atmosphere” in the intimate club setting. White and Yes will embark on a seven week European tour and will return to the Northwest right before the holidays.
Randy Hansen was in the building...
Another notable highlight was a surprise appearance by one of the greatest, if not the greatest Jimi Hendrix tribute artists, the legendary guitarist, Randy Hansen. Hansen had the crowd in the palm of his hand, as he tore into the Hendrix classic "Voodoo Child" , with every ounce of his being and imposing his will on his instrument. Hansen worked the tune and his ax with flawless “Hendrixesque” style and flair, playing behind his back, with his teeth, thus raising the temperature in the packed room to over 100 degrees fahrenheit. Hansen flew out yesterday for a European tour and will return to the Northwest in November.
A not so lonely "Heart"
Of course, one of the biggest highlights of the evening was the highly anticipated “Heart Reunion” or shall we say, partial reunion. Founding members, Roger Fisher, Steve Fossen and Mike Derosier rocked Heart classics: “Magic Man”, “Barracuda” and “Crazy on You” . Vocalist Somar Macek, formally of the defunct Heart tribute band “Straight On”, handled Ann Wilson’s vocal parts with professional aplomb, brilliantly channeling Wilson’s passion, style and soul throughout the various Heart numbers.
Seeing these Heart classics played by 3 of the original members of the seminal group, had to whet the appetites of the many Heart fans in attendance. Hopefully, one day the powers that be will be able to reach some type of accord so that Heart fans can be treated to a real reunion with all of the original members. This is truly what Heart fans deserve and it would be good business. Heck, If "The Eagles" can do it and Van Halen can work things out with “Diamond Dave”, certainly "the suits" can get their act together and give Heart fans what they have been yearning for. Here is hoping that the boys and fans don’t have to wait for the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame to see the pieces of Heart together again.
Event organizer is delighted...
Music Aid Northwest Board President Bob Tomberg, also manager of "Shelley and the Curves", organized and coordinated Sunday night's massive event. When asked if the event exceeded his expectations, Tomberg responded with a hearty, “Absolutely!” Tomberg continues...”We had a rehearsal on Wednesday and I knew it was going to be a great show, because all of the musicians really believed in our cause and thoroughly enjoyed playing with each other. But I had no idea the audience would get into it as much as they did. It is hard for me to believe it was as successful as it was.”
Given the success of the event, Tomberg went on to share about the possibility of future events: “Everyone I talked to wants us to do it again. The musicians, the fans, everyone! This was really a trial run and it did exceed our expectations. We would like to scale it up a little and perhaps add a few more of the area's major talent. I would think it would be sometime next year, possibly as early as the spring. Tell your fans to check with www.musicaidnorthwest.org for updates".
Tomberg, himself a musician and passionate music lover, stood like a proud papa, as his eyes wondered across the venue, twinkling with joy and marveling at the amazing body of talent in the room and the fans that came to enjoy that talent. When asked what the night meant to him Tomberg humbly replied, “I was working really hard all night but the magic of the night permeated everything I was doing. Every musician was anxious to get on stage to perform, and asking for more places to contribute. It was the first time I have seen a mosh pit develop in a bar. The fans were amazing. So I seemed to be floating through the night at high speed, getting a lot done, but ecstatic about what was going on around me. I couldn’t have been happier!”
Tomberg certainly should be delighted. The event and the organization that he is part of, helped raise $2,690.00 for music education. Even more importantly, the event helped raise awareness for this important cause. Moreover, Sunday's event served as a template for future events like this one. The event only cost $5.00 so those that did show up received a terrific bang for their buck, as they were treated to some astonishingly brilliant rock n' roll, courtesy of some of the finest Northwest musical talent. It truly was a rock n' roll night to remember indeed.
To get on the mailing list for future events, e-mail Bob Tomberg at: bob@musicaidnorthwest.org,
Seattle Music Examiner / SMI had the opportunity to chat with Roger Fisher after the show. Fisher discusses what it was like to play with his friends and former "Heart mates" as well as the music that the band made while the trio was with the group back in the 70's. (Our apologies for the audio quality on the video. Unfortunately, there was no real quiet spot in which to conduct the interview and thus there is a lot of ambient noise in the background. There will be additional video interviews with Alan White and extended show footage coming up later in the week).
Complete set list and participating artists...
(Set 1)
Title Musicians and Vocalists
Black Velvet Tune: Bill Cantlon/ Mark Mosholder/ Roger Wheeler/ Christy Wheeler
Rock and Roll: Donn Garrett /Eddie Ferguson/ Rick Knotts/ Brenda Kashmir
Immigrant Song: Donn Garrett/ Eddie Ferguson/ Rick Knotts/ Brenda Kashmir
Superstition: Donn Garrett /Mark Mosholder/ Craig Webb/Greg Roth
Born to be Wild: Paul Kollman/Mark Mosholder/Craig Webb/ Bob Tomberg/Joel Johnsons/Larry Strobel What a Feeling: Paul Kollman/ Mark Mosholder/ Craig Webb/ Bob Tomberg/Joel Johnsons/ Shelley Tomberg/Sally Annabella/Karen Ford
Lights go down in the City: Paul Kollman/Mark Mosholder/ Craig Webb/Bob Tomberg/Joel Johnsons Shelley Tomberg/ Sally Annabella/Karen Ford
Footloose: Paul Kollman/ Mark Mosholder/ Craig Webb Bob/Tomberg/ Joel Johnsons/ Shelley Tomberg/ Sally Annabella/ Karen Ford
(Set 2)
Title Musicians and Vocalists
Voodoo Child: Alan White/Steve Boyce/ Randy Hanson
All You Need is Love: Alan White/Steve Fossen/ Roger Fisher/ Billy Mac/"The Curves"/Jennifer Austin
Where is the Love: Alan White/ Steve Fossen/ Roger Fisher/ Billy Mac/Jennifer Austin
Roundabout: Alan White/ Steve Fossen/ Rick Knotts/John Sindelman/ Terry Young/ "The Curves"
Rock n' Roll Hoochie Coo: Alan White/Terry Young/ Rick Knotts/Andy Baldwin/John Sindelman/Terry Young/Greg Roth
All Your Love Tonight: Mike Derosier /Terry Young/ Rick Knotts/Andy Baldwin/John Sindelman/TerryYoung
(Heart "Mini Set") Magic Man: Mike Derosier/Steve Fossen/Roger Fisher/Sean Fox/JC Rox /John Sindelman/Somar Macek
Crazy On You: Mike Derosier/ Steve Fossen/Roger Fisher/Sean Fox/JC Rox/John Sindelman/Somar Macek
Barracuda: Mike Derosier/ Steve Fossen/ Roger Fisher/Sean Fox/JC Rox/Somar Macek
(Encore) Owner of a Lonely Heart: Alan White/ Steve Fossen/ Roger Fisher/ Craig Webb/ John Sindelman/ Arny Bailey "The Curves"
(Finale) Imagine: Alan White/ Steve Fossen/ Roger Fisher/ Craig Webb/ Billy Mac/All Vocalists
*In addition to the above listed artists, “Junkyard Jane" and members of "Jam Dogs" along with Julie Mains, also participated in the pre show jam. Other specific names were not available at press time, our apologies for those whose names were omitted..
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