by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Musical tributes to Neil Diamond and Queen, along with the bands Maiden Dixie and The Graduates will kick off the free two-day Fourth of July bash in St. Joseph.
The 11th annual Joetown Rocks concert will feature music to satisfy just about every taste the evening of Sunday, July 3. The musical extravaganza will last from 6 p.m. to about midnight, with a pause for a fireworks display at 10:15 p.m.
Before the concert, starting at 5 p.m. on the Catholic parish grounds, there will be bingo, other games, food and refreshments. The musical performances begin at 6 p.m. with a young bunch of rockers from Cathedral High School called The Graduates. Then “The Crown Jewels,” performing a tribute to the music of Queen, will take the stage. Matt Vee Family and Friends (sometimes dubbed “The Killer Vees”) will celebrate the music of Neil Diamond with a concert dubbed “I Am . . . He Said,” starting at 8:30 p.m. followed by fireworks at 10:15 p.m. after which Maiden Dixie will perform.
The next day, Monday, July 4, a downtown parade sponsored by the St. Joseph Lions Club will begin at 10 a.m. It will start at W. Minnesota Street and Third Avenue SW, travel down Minnesota Street for 1.5 miles and end at Seventh Avenue E. Afterward there will be bingo, lots of other games and a wide variety of food and refreshments from the many stands and tents set up on the parish grounds right in the heart of downtown St. Joseph. At 1:30 p.m., the annual quilt auction will take place, followed by the raffle drawing at 3:30 p.m.
The following outlines in more detail the entertainment offerings of the Joetown Rocks and St. Joseph Parish Festival, which is more than 100 years old:
The Graduates
Billed as Central Minnesota’s hottest young band, The Graduates features young teenagers of phenomenal musical talents: guitar virtuoso Adam Astrup, 16; bassist Travis Brattensborg, 16; Cathedral High School senior and lead vocalist Ellie Theisen; Cathedral alumni Brandon Voigt on keyboards; and Bennett Velline, 14, the grandson of music legend Bobby Vee, who, along with his extravagantly talented family, has been a major addition to Joetown Rocks from its very beginning 11 years ago.
The Crown Jewels
The Crown Jewels is a Minneapolis band that loves to play the classic songs written and sung by Queen.
The band is comprised of Alex Parsons, lead vocals; Steve Pritchard, guitar/vocals; Paul Cherba, bass/vocals; Eric Althaus, drums/vocals; Michelle Pritchard, backing vocals; Erica Hanson, backing vocals; and Polo Zetina, keyboards/vocals.
The Crown Jewels has won raves for its precise dedication to the sound and spirit of the original Queen repertoire.
“I Am . . . He Said”
The Killer Vees is the name of a band that includes two sons of long-time hit-maker/pop rock star Bobby Vee – Jeff and Tommy, as well as their cousin Matt Vee, Matt’s wife Julie on vocals and Minnesota musicians Tom Bard, Kurt Rodman, Boyd Lee and Jeff Engholm of St. Joseph. The band is also promising a “surprise” during the finale.
The Killer Vees will perform a show of Neil Diamond classic hits, such as “Song Sung Blue,” “Sweet Caroline,” “Cracklin’ Rosie” and “I Am, I Said.”
Maiden Dixie
Maiden Dixie is a six-member Minneapolis-based contemporary country band whose debut CD Unsafe & Sound about a year ago was widely acclaimed.
The band’s sound is a fusion of country, pop and rock. The band features songwriters Channing Himes and Jonathan Krentz; Jesse Becker, vocals; and musicians Zachary Scanlan, Tyler Kloewer and Andrew Sherman.
Maiden Dixie is just one of the musical acts to perform in the 11th annual Joetown Rocks concert on Sunday, July 3. Clockwise (from left to right) Drew Sherman, Channing Himes, Jesse Becker, Tyler Kloewer, Zachary Scanlan and Jonathan Krentz.
Matt Veline is a member of The Killer Vees. Two of the legendary pop singer Bobby Vee’s sons – Jeff and Tommy – are also in the band. Matt is their cousin. His wife, Julie, also sings vocals.
The Killer Vees will perform a set of Neil Diamond songs at Joetown Rocks.
Jonathan Krentz, vocalist and lead guitarist, is one of the members of Maiden Dixie, set to perform July 3 at Joetown Rocks in St. Joseph.
The Crown Jewels will perform a tribute to the music of Queen at Joetown Rocks July 3 in St. Joseph.
