Bruce Brown Introduces What's Going on in North Brunswick, North Carolina June 20th

Leland, North Carolina will be the site of the next concert by The Buckinghams, June 20th. Let realtor Bruce Brown tell you what's coming in his own words:



More information coming soon about this concert, sponsored by the North Brunswick Chamber of Commerce.

Songs of the Sixties Hit Star Plaza Stage by Tom Lounges, Munster Times, Munster, IN

Songs of the Sixties hit Star Plaza stage

By Tom Lounges
Times Correspondent | Saturday, May 30, 2009 |

"It'll be like getting a live greatest hits album on stage with a few surprises," said Carl Giammarese, co-founder of The Buckinghams, voted "the most popular band in America of 1967" by national teen publications of the era.

And hits they had. The Buckinghams dominated the national pop charts and radio playlists from 1966 to 1968 with a steady stream of singles anchored by catchy melodies, tight harmonies and sporting titles like –– "Kind Of A Drag," "Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song)," "Don't You Care," "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," "Susan," and their indelible version of the old Lloyd Price classic, "Lawdy Miss Clawdy."

"When we first started, I was a senior at at Lane Tech High School and the guys would come and pick me up at school so we could get to a gig," Giammarese said. "Our manager Carl Bonafede had this station wagon and we'd pull a trailer with our stuff in it to places as far as South Dakota, do a show and drive all the way back so I could be in school. It was crazy."

Soon after forming, The Buckinghams landed a house gig for 13 weeks on the hugely popular WGN-TV variety show, "All Time Hits." The exposure got them signed to regional record label USA Records.

When AM radio giant WLS -- whose signal reached across all of North America -- jumped on The Buckinghams first single, "Kind Of A Drag," it shot to No. 1 and Columbia Records soon bought out of their USA Records contract.

Success came so fast the boys were rushed into the studio to complete their first LP for the legion of screaming Buckinghams fans that popped up seemingly overnight.

"We recorded a lot of the songs we'd been doing in our live show at the time," Giammarese said. "That first album was done at the old Chess Studios, 2120 South Michigan Ave., where legends like Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry had recorded their early stuff."

By the end of 1967, The Buckinghams had appeared on the cover of every major teen and pop culture magazine. They were voted by teen readers as "the most popular band in America," while Cashbox Magazine declared them "The Most Promising Vocal Group in America."

"Man, it all happened so fast," Giammarese said. "We were just kids playing school sock hops and then suddenly we were on shows like ‘American Bandstand', ‘Ed Sullivan,' and ‘The Smothers Brothers Show.'"

Giammarese admits he never imagined he'd still be singing those same songs 40 years later.

"And you know what? I enjoy doing it as much today as I did then," he said. "I can't tell you how gratifying it is to see people come out to hear the songs and see the band. We've got the greatest fans!"

"Chicago Hitmakers" with The Buckinghams, Ides of March featuring Jim Peterik, and Ronnie Rice formerly of The New Colony Six.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Star Plaza Theatre, I-65 and U.S. 30, Merrillville

COST: $29, all-ages show

FYI: starplazatheatre.com or (219) 791-1234

The opinions expressed are solely the writer's. Reach him at beatboss@aol.com

Original story link can be found online at:
http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2009/05/30/entertainment/music/doc913fed064d24dd55862575c40060136c.txt

TONITE AT THE STAR PLAZA THEATRE


The Chicago Hitmakers, starring The Buckinghams, The Ides of March, featuring Jim Peterik, and Ronnie Rice, formerly of New Colony Six.
Purchase tickets by phone: 800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com
Stop by the Star Plaza Theatre Box Office today from Noon-7 pm, or any Ticketmaster Outlet

The Chicago Hitmakers TONITE at The Genesee Theatre

Tonight at 7:30 pm--The Buckinghams, The Ides of March, and Ronnie Rice
The Chicago Hitmakers

Friday May 29th
7 : 30 PM

Buy Tickets Buy Tickets www.ticketmaster.com or chg by phone 800=982-2787
Showtimes are:
Friday May 29th 7 : 30 PM

On Sale now!!!

Prices: $60, $45

Star Plaza and the Genesee Theatre proudly present THE CHICAGO HITMAKERS on Friday, May 29 at 7:30PM. It’s the show Chicago has been waiting for …three legendary groups…all Chicago natives, unite for a memorable evening of classic ‘60s rock. The Buckinghams. The Ides of March featuring Jim Peterik. Ronnie Rice - formerly of New Colony Six. Tickets go on sale Saturday,April 18 at 12 noon, are priced at $60 and $45 and can be purchased at the Genesee Theatre box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, charge-by-phone at 800.982.2787 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. All seats reserved.

Preview of The Buckinghams in Concert

The Buckinghams are set to perform all their 1960s hits for the North Brunswick Chamber of Commerce's fund-raiser, set for June 20th.

Revisit some great songs here:

The Buckinghams - Don't You Care


For more on The Buckinghams, check out www.thebuckinghams.com

The Buckinghams Featured on WGN-TV, May 28th

This morning, in advance of The Chicago Hitmakers' weekend of concerts, The Buckinghams performed "Don't You Care" unplugged on WGN-TV's Morning Show.

Here's the link to their performance this morning:
http://www.wgntv.com/video/?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=3807493

Limited concert tickets for the Genesee and Star Plaza concerts of The Chicago Hitmakers available at www.ticketmaster.com or call the box office of the Genesee and the Star Plaza.

The Buckinghams on WGN-TV Thursday, May 28th

Tune in to Chicago's Very Own WGN-TV on your cable channel
Thursday, May 28th, between 8 - 9 am CST to hear The Buckinghams performing unplugged, in advance of two great weekend shows,
Friday, May 29th at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan, IL and
Saturday, May 30th at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, IN


Watch the morning show guys kid about 'what's on tomorrow'
View the WGN web promo exclusive at:
http://www.wgntv.com/news/morningnews/wgntv-webexclusive-may26,0,1865330.

If you miss the show, check out WGN's web site
http://www.wgntv.com and follow the links.

The Chicago Hitmakers, Starring The Buckinghams, The Ides of March, featuring Jim Peterik, and Ronnie Rice, formerly of the New Colony Six

Christine Nyholm Interviews Carl Giammarese

Story published today in Lake County Examiner

Story by Christine Nyholm
Lake County Examiner Interview with Carl Giammarese of the Buckinghams
Posted May 26, 8:01 PM

The band The Buckinghans brings back memories of summer days and young love, especially for the Baby Boom generation. The Chicago areas band soared to the top of the pop/rock charts in the ‘60’s with songs like “Kind of a Drag,” Susan”,, and “Hey Baby, They’re Playing Our Song.” Recently I had the chance to interview lead singer Carl Giammarese about the band and about their upcoming concert at Genesee Theatre in Waukegan.

The Buckinghams will be performing at Genesee Theatre on Friday, May 29 for The Chicago Hitmakers in concert, with The Buckinghams, The Ides of March featuring Jim Peterik and Ronnie Rice (formerly of the New Colony Six).Tickets for the concert are available at the Genesee Theatre.

The Buckinghams burst onto the American music scene in 1966, during the height of the British invasion, In 1967 they named “The Most Listened to band in America” by Billboard Magazine. The band releases 15 singles and 5 albums for Columbia and USA Records in the 1960’s The Buckinghams broke up in 1970, but reunited in 1980.

The current five members of The Buckinghams have been together since 1986, four times longer then the original 1960’s band. The five members of The Buckinghams today are:
Carl Giammarese – Lead Singer
Nick Fortuna – original bass player
Drummer – Tom Scheckel
Bob Abrams – lead guitar and vocals
Bruce Soboroff – keyboard and vocals

What can people expect to see at the Genesee Theatre Concert in Waukegan?

“First, they are going to hear some of the old music that they remember. We have been so blessed to be part of the memories of people. The songs may bring back memories of young love or other memories. We will also play a retrospective of some of the other bands of the 1960s’ era. It is not just about the old music though. We will also be new playing songs from our new CD, Reaching Back. Of course, Ronnie Rice and Jim Peterick will also be playing. It will be a great concert, an enjoyable evening.”

The Genesee Theatre is one of my favorite venues to play in. The old theatres have something very special. We are playing at the Genesee Theatre on Friday night and then playing at The Starlight Theatre, another great old theatre, on Saturday night.
After the concert we like to meet the fans and will be available to sign CD’s. We love to talk to people and hear what our music has meant to them over years. We will also have our CD’s available for sale at the concert.

What is life like for you now?

“I have been very fortunate in my life that I have always been able to make a living at what I love to do, making music. I never had to get a day job. Even when the band was not together, in the 1970’s, I was able to make a living writing music. “
“We play several concerts a year. This year we have about 80 scheduled, which is down a little. We travel around the country and play at festivals and different concert venues. We also play at private functions.”

“I always like to say I play music for free, but I get paid to travel. Every day of a concert takes about two days of travel. Sometime we stay in beautiful places, but sometimes they are not so great. Then, you might find me alone in my hotel room ironing my shirt before the concert”, laughs, ”It is very glamorous. “

Please Tell me about your new CD

“Our fans had been asking for some new music with the trademark Buckingham’s sound. The signature Buckinghams sound has lush horns and strings, with that distinctive sound of the 1960’s that brings back memories of younger days. Our CD, “Reaching Back,”has ten new songs, plus some of the songs that people remember, including: “Kind of a Drag;” “Don’t You Care;” Mercy, Mercy, Mercy;” “Hey Baby (They’re Playing Our Song);” and “Susan.”

How can fans purchase “Reaching Back?”

“Fans can purchase our new CD’s at The Buckingham’s website. As I said earlier, we will also have CD’s available for sale after the concert at Genesee Theatre. “

Thank you so much. It should be a great concert!
Chicago Hitmakers and Restaurant Crawl in Waukegan May 29
Chicago Hitmakers in Concert at Genesee Theatre in Waukegan


Author: Christine Nyholm
Christine Nyholm is an Examiner from Chicago. You can see Christine's articles on Christine's Home Page.

Christine Nyholm is a long time resident of Lake County who loves keeping track of the arts, entertainment and restaurant scene in this fast growing region. Hobbies include painting, drawing, singing and writing. She has several years of business experience in and around the Chicago area.

The Buckinghams are now on Twitter

Do YOU Twitter?

If you use Twitter, you can follow the latest from The Buckinghams at:
http://twitter.com/TheBuckinghams

Concert Week is Here--The Chicago Hitmakers at the Genesee and Star Plaza May 29th, 30th

Catch The Buckinghams on radio and TV all this week and preview what will be two unforgettable concerts. The Chicago Hitmakers starts at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan on Friday, May 29th, and continues the next night at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrilville, Indiana on Saturday, May 30th. Both shows begin at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster outlets.

On the Radio
On Sunday, May 24th at 7 pm (CST), Carl Giammarese will be the guest of longtime friend and music journalist, Tom Lounges, on X-Rock Radio in Indiana from 6-9 p.m. Enter a contest to win tickets for the concert and a grand prize to meet The Buckinghams. For more info, check out www.nightrockonline.com.

On Your Television
On Thursday, May 28th, tune in to the WGN Morning News at 8am (CST), and hear music from The Buckinghams, as a preview of what you'll hear at The Genesee and The Star Plaza in concert.

The Chicago Hitmakers Visit WGN's Steve and Johnnie
Anyone who tuned in to Steve and Johnnie's show on WGN Radio last Thursday night from 11 pm until 2 am Friday morning enjoyed exceptional 3 hours' of listening to Carl Giammarese and Ronnie Rice singing and playing unplugged, with a call-in from Los Angeles by Jim Peterik, whose Ides of March will join The Chicago Hitmakers in concert. Two great songs are posted on their web page: For more on Steve and Johnnie, tune into their Life After Dark Show. Visit
http://www.wgnradio.com/shows/stevejohnnie/wgnam-stevejohnnie-carlgiammarese-uncut090522a,0,2524901.mp3file
to listen to Carl sing his composition, "Have a Little Faith".

Join Us for Two Special Evenings with
The Chicago Hitmakers, May 29th & May 30th

Hear New Music and Timeless Classics

from The Buckinghams

with The Ides of March, featuring Jim Peterik and
Ronnie Rice, former lead singer of New Colony Six

Friday, May 29, 7:30 pm
Genesee Theatre, Waukegan, IL
For tickets, go to www.ticketmaster.com, or charge-by-phone at 800.982.2787

Saturday, May 30, 7:30 pm
Star Plaza Theatre, Merrillville, IN
For tickets, go to www.ticketmaster.com, or purchase tickets by phone at 800.745.3000