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| World premiere of documentary 'Fargo Rocks' The world premiere for “Fargo Rocks” is scheduled for March 30 through April 2 at the historic Fargo Theatre, 314 Broadway, Downtown Fargo. From Bobby Vee and Terry Lee to The Phones and The Blenders, “Fargo Rocks” tells the story of Fargo-Moorhead’s first four decades of homegrown rock and roll. Telling this remarkable story is the musicians themselves … Bobby Vee, Bob Becker, Davey Bee, Dave Prentice, Richard Torrance, Ted Larson, Paul Hubbard, Johnny Holm, Ronnie Kerber, Richie Jacobson, Jeff Cerise, Brenda Weiler and many more. This 90-minute film features the original historic recordings, interwoven with the photographs, anecdotes and tales that effectively bring Fargo-Moorhead’s rock and roll history to life, starting with the tragic 1959 plane crash that claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson and Ritchie Valens en route to a performance at the Moorhead Armory. When the call came out for local bands to fill the concert void, Terry Lee and the Poor Boys – North Dakota’s first rock band – stepped forward. So did an unnamed group featuring brothers Bill and Bobby Velline, and a 6-and-a-half-year-old boy named Ronnie Kerber. The concert didn’t necessarily launch Bobby Vee’s career, but “Susie Baby, ” a self-penned single released five months later, did well enough in the Midwest to get the Fargo Central sophomore a contract with Liberty Records. In “Fargo Rocks, ” Vee speaks fondly of those early days on the Midwest circuit, along with many of his contemporaries. Also featured in the documentary is The Elston Gunnn Story, as told by Bobby Vee and Bob Becker (Terry Lee). Throughout the 1960s, other bands took their stab at recording success, like Davey Bee and the Sonics, The Treasures, The Mods, The Unbelievable Uglies, and The Pawnbrokers. All of them were practically unknown to the rest of the nation, but were all you needed for a rockin’ good time in and around the Red River Valley. And they all recount the trials and tribulations of making a go of rock and roll as a career choice. Into the 1970s and 1980s, the story continues with Overland Stage, Johnny Holm, The Phones and Stickman. When the boy band sound swept the music scene in the 1990s, The Blenders were there at the ground level, doing it better than many of their more famous contemporaries. When blues began to enjoy a renaissance in popularity, one of the key players was Jonny Lang and the Big Bang. As Brenda Weiler makes her mark as a singer/songwriter, North To Emerson epitomizes the spirit that keeps the music alive from generation to generation. “Fargo Rocks” features them all. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |