by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
When the 11th annual BankVista Rock ‘n’ Block kicks into high gear on Saturday, Aug. 13, in Sartell, there will be a triple whammy of three high-power musical acts: the Fabulous Armadillos and country singer-songwriters Chris Hawkey and Mandy McMillan.
The Rock ‘n’ Block party will start at 5:30 p.m. and stay open until midnight at the Sauk Prairie Medical Arts Campus, 2000 23rd St. S. Party-goers can take Connecticut Avenue to get into the medical campus.
The other activities at the event will include a cornhole competition, similar to a beanbag toss; and a home-brewing contest.
Tickets to the festival are $10 each.
Armadillos
The Fabulous Armadillos have been one of the most popular concert draws for years in the greater St. Cloud area ever since the band formed in 2006.
The band is known for its spot-on imitations of genres of music that include country, Motown, heavy metal, ’70s soft rock and just plain good old rock ‘n’ roll.
The Armadillos often do “theme” concerts based on the music such as “One-Hit Wonders,” “Woodstock,” “Stadium Rock” and more.
In 10 years, they have performed more than 40 theme shows at Pioneer Place on Fifth in St. Cloud, as well as hundreds of gigs throughout the Midwest and even in Mexico. Often the band brings in other performing guests – both local and national talents – to flesh out their theme shows.
The band is also well regarded for its tribute shows, such as Doobie Brothers, Eagles and Pink Floyd.
The eight-piece band also features a horn section.
Hawkey
Chris Hawkey did a six-year stint with the Minneapolis-based band, Rocket Club. When he quit that band, he became a morning talk show host on KFAN-Radio in Minneapolis. His show, “Power Trip,” deals with gab about sports, news, movies and fun trivia.
Born in Indiana, Hawkey grew up performing in the Indiana/Ohio area. He now lives in Maple Grove and continues to write and perform his songs, and record CDs. Some of his best country-style songs are “Country Underneath,” “My Kinda Crazy,’ “Just Like Everyone,” “Million Lonely Souls” and “Steal a Moment.”
McMillan
Mandy McMillan is a singer-songwriter who was born in Wabamun, Alberta, Canada, though she is now based in Nashville.
She was practically “born” singing, performing as young as 3 years old. Later she became part of a five-member band in Canada but decided to move to Nashville to be in the thick of the country-music scene. Most of McMillan’s songs she co-wrote with others, a duo-creative process she enjoys doing.
Some of McMillan’s songs are “Everything I Wanna Be,” “Good Girls Don’t Kiss in Bars,” “Born and Raised in Stony Plain,” “Falling” and “Geronimo.”
Canadian-born Mandy McMillan has been singing and performing since the age of 3.
Chris Hawkey, country singer, divides his time between his morning radio talk-show job in Minneapolis and performing musical gigs.
Pamela McNeill, a vocalist for the Fabulous Armadillos, belts out a tune that brings the audience to its feet.
