Orleans & Friends return to Woodstock to play a Benefit for The Queens Galley – A Successful Experiment in Feeding Hungry People – Sunday, April 6th, found us back at the birthplace of Orleans — Woodstock, NY. It was there in 1972 that John Hall, Wells Kelly and Larry Hoppen first convened, rehearsing in John’s basement.
Whoever that is wasn’t referring to US … that’s for sure! Early April found us not only in Bay Shore/Brentwood, Long Island, NY … the home town of the Hoppen brothers … but also in Bearsville/Woodstock, NY … the home town of Orleans!
Larry’s twin daughters join the band to sing background vocals on Still the One. Stardom came naturally to the girls as they signed autographs at the merchandise table.
What would you get if you put Orleans together with Rick Derringer (McCoys, Johnny Winter), Felix Cavaliere (Young Rascals), Alex Ligertwood (Santana), Jimi Jamison and Ronnie Hammond (Atlanta Rhythm Section) on the same stage at the same time? Dream band? Supergroup?
Well, for a lot of us, all of the above, but it’s actually a very real group known as RPM (Rock and Pop Masters) who are helping keep classic rock alive by performing it regularly for audiences made up of three generations of appreciative fans.
Now here’s a strange one! On Feb. 12th ’08, I got an email through YouTube saying that “BostonDanny” had sent me a video. Tracking this down, I came to find out that it was not just one, but FIFTEEN VIDEOS!
