I even had the odd serious chat with Moggy Just LIKE the Arlington Cardinal Page (become a fan of our page). You see us play at that level of intensity every night and you just cant make that shit up. We were just rocking our brains out and enjoying every minute of it. River Of Life and 9 more. The album went on to sell over 2 million copies in the US, ultimately achieving double platinum status. In 1968, Gratzer and roommate Neal Doughty started REO Speedwagon in their residence hall at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. We were excited about Hi Infidelity, there was a good vibe in the Alan Gratz's life path number is 11. The members returned to school in the fall of 1967, and had their first rehearsal before classes started. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. Formed in 1967, the group originally included drummer and backing vocalist Alan Gratzer, guitarist and lead vocalist Joe Matt, bassist and lead vocalist Mike Blair, and keyboardist Neal Doughty. Gratzer graduated from Arlington High School with the Class of '66. william doc marshall death. But regardless, we tried to have some fun with it. I havent heard that record in a long time, but that was us at our most raw. He has ranked on the list of those famous people who were born on July 29, 1946. He also has a position among the list of Most popular Pianist. Alan Gratzer (November 9, 1948) American drummer, o.a. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Give a little bit: REO Speedwagon founder gives back. Speedwagon, Alan Gratzer, about the early days of the band at the. [8] Cronin had been playing in The Strolling Dudes, a jazz ensemble that included jazz trumpet player Rick Braun (who had co-written the abovementioned "Here With Me" with Cronin), Miles Joseph on lead guitar and Graham Lear on drums. What year, and in what city was the last show which featured . Theres a love we feel in America thats always there, and that really keeps us going., I guess it would have to be the R.E.O/T.W.O record, which was the first album I made with the band. Former drummer Alan Gratzer left to open a restaurant. ^^ MOBILE? They performed "Can't Fight This Feeling" and "Roll With the Changes," which featured members of the Beach Boys, the band members' families, and Paul Shaffer on stage for backing vocals. Alan Gratz's age is 50. Notable for young adult novels such as Something Rotten (2007 . See more info at. (function() { Have you ever been tempted to record a solo album? Theyre the biggest bunch of jerks Ive ever met. Most kids are from single parent homes where the environment is not so great. So either the band would break up or something would happen between Gary and I. I knew Gratzer says that it does not involve a large time commitment. Trying to explain that look to my children and immediate family has been what you might call a challenge!, The Boss - Derek
[email protected], Editor - Howard Johnson
[email protected]. we didn't because to this day I channel his energy every time I walk onstage and I always will.. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. Welcome! In 1977 bassist Gregg Philbin left the band. but left the band during the recording sessions for 1973's Ridin' the Storm Out because of internal conflicts. But Greggs epiphany had happened three years earlier, thanks to his wife Aprils connections with former Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca. sceptical of us because the name R.E.O. Did you ever eat there and was it any good? sound. TO READ THE FULL STORY: Subscribe Now LOG IN Read this article They were the last songs recorded with Gary Richrath and Alan Gratzer. Having lost their recording contract with Epic, REO Speedwagon ended up releasing Building the Bridge (1996) on the Priority/Rhythm Safari label. var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; Alan F Gratzer Auburn, age 77, male. Depending upon which band member is expressing an opinion, it was either because Philbin was disenchanted with the new corporate-structure REO where Cronin and Richrath got bigger slices of the pie instead of the equal credit they once shared as a "garage band", or he was asked to leave over his lifestyle issues affecting the music quality. Murphy stayed on for two more albums, Lost in a Dream and This Time We Mean It, before Cronin returned to the fold in January 1976 and recorded R.E.O., which was released that same year. From 1995 to the present, the label released over a dozen compilation albums featuring greatest hits, including 1999's The Ballads. Speedwagon sometimes conjures up images of nothing but slow songs. The sound was large and bombastic. Although leaving behind life on the road was his ultimate decision, he missed playing music, but not the seemingly endless hotels, airports and nights spent riding on a bus. At some point maybe I will record a solo album, but at this point I feel so well represented in R.E.O. We all have photos of ourselves looking faintly (or not so faintly) ridiculous and wanted to celebrate our preposterous looks. As a consequence, Epic began re-releasing recordings from older albums with updated artwork and design. The album was REO's first to make the Top 40, peaking at #29. What was the music scene like back in the late 60s in Champaign, Illinois when you were all kids? When I bring a song to the soundcheck or to a rehearsal its like throwing a big piece of red I loved the fact you sang Whats New Pussycat in Cardiff, in recognition of Welsh crooner Tom Jones. [19], In 2017 the Hi Infidelity album received the Diamond Award for official U.S. sales of over ten million copies.[20]. Matt left early the next year after graduating from school, with Terry Luttrell taking his place on lead vocals. Their top song Vehicle is credited with being Warner Bros. Records fastest selling single in WB Records history. And what personal recorded performance are you most proud of? But it still wasnt good! There was no Photoshop back then. What about Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah, whose 1971 hit Lake Shore Drive, What about Steve Goodman, folk music singer-writer who wrote City of New Orleans and Go, Cubs, Go. And then Time For Me To Fly was released, we got a little success Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. Lutter & Wegner is one of the most traditional restaurants Berlin has to offer. Following a suggestion from a friend, they sought out Nevada City one weekend. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The first lineup consisted of Doughty on keyboards, Gratzer on drums and vocals, Joe Matt on guitar and vocals, Mike Blair on bass and vocals. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. Eight years later Gratzer and his family relocated once again in 2001. We started out just to have fun, but it took over our lives, he said. In addition to being a Big Brother, Gratzer has served as a mentor, a board member and is in his third year as board president. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. On his first night, he met another student, Alan Gratzer. We made 16 albums, sold 40 million copies and got to see the world.. alan gratzer restaurant. My pants were a stretchy black spandex Otaco4me loves this. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. capture the R.E.O. In early 1989, Gary Richrath quit after tensions between him and Kevin Cronin boiled over. [7] The Hits (1988) is a compilation album from REO Speedwagon. Crownover played guitar for the group until the summer of 1969 when Bill Fiorio replaced him. In 2004, Gratz adapted Washington Irving's famous short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" into a stage play that premiered at the Knoxville Actors Co-Op. We were playing at the arena there and normally they would tape a curtain across the centre of the hall. Once we came here, I knew it was the perfect place, said Gratzer. [16], The band performed with Pitbull the song "Messin' Around" live on the ABC TV show Greatest Hits in 2016; that version of the song was also released as a single on iTunes. back on it now I feel really sad. Anyone else collect signature and signed drumsticks? After a successful 8 year run, Gratzer decided to leave the seven-day work weeks behind and went in search of the next chapter. What about the Ides of March and Jim Pterik from Berwyn, Illinois with Vehicle? A. Did you ever eat there and was it any good? A lot of people probably agree that super rock band Chicago got dissed Maybe people downstate dont like brass, or maybe voters read too much Jim DeRogatis (Rock in this city [Chicago] pretty much sucked through the 60s and 70s). in the centre of the stage where were used to it being, and thats how it was for the first couple of shows. Its a great way to connect to the community and help kids, Gratzer said, who is now working with his second little brother.. right now with the five band members. Alan Gratzer Syracuse native Alan Gratzer was a founding member of REO Speedwagon and played drums on the band's biggest hits like "Can't Fight This Feeling" and "Take it on the Run." 28. It was a rendition of Roll With The Changes that Bio. REO Speedwagon continues to tour regularly, performing mostly their classic hits. Gratzer left REO Speedwagon in 1988, leaving Doughty as the sole original member. So we played a show just outside Sacramento the other night, and our dear friend, co-founding member of REO Speedwagon, Alan Gratzer made the scene. the ultimate rush and it puts me in a position where I want to give that back to the people. To contact Kim Midboe, e-mail
[email protected] or call (530) 477-4251. Speedwagon through 2009's Not So Silent Night . Snacks and small plates 3-6.50, steaks and chops 16-28, desserts 7, wines from 25 First impressions matter. Chicago and REO Speedwagon have been performing for decades. Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander of Cheap Trick came out and sang the keep The band formed when drummer Alan Gratzer and keyboardist Neal Doughty, a couple of students at University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, got together to jam after class.They worked their way through small clubs and venues, as well as through more than a few personnel changes. Thank you for reading! The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. When we were first brainstorming feature ideas for the dbut issue of Rock Candy Mag the editorial team liked the idea of tracking down our old musical heroes, the ones who had moved on and opted to do something different with their lives. REO Speedwagon (originally styled as R.E.O. Mainly its about being a good listener, filling a need and being someone for a child to look up to, says Gratzer. Giuffria acquired rights to the patent and eventually sold them to a slot machine manufacturer. Survivor Life Is On The Line [Haymakers, 645 Milwaukee Avenue, Prospect Heights/Wheeling 1978]. Every time I play those songs it makes me want to get up there and do it again, and try to do it a little bit better. On November 22, 2013 they announced a benefit concert with Styx titled "Rock to the Rescue" to raise money for the affected families of the tornadoes in central Illinois. He then opened a restaurant in Santa Barbara, Calif., which featured California cuisine cooked up by a chef from New York. Ides of March Vehicle Live at Song House of Blues 2014. Menu | Epic Records All rock 'n' pop respect to REO Speedwagon, but I cannot climb aboard . On March 11, 2012, Kevin Cronin appeared on the Canadian reality TV series Star Acadmie. 8. But then by about five in the afternoon the line had gone all the way around the arena. As for music scene, his involvement now centers around listening to good music. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Then she just started laughing. Eight years later Gratzer and his family relocated once again in 2001 to their present home just outside of Nevada City, Calif. Once we came here, I knew it was the perfect place, he said. Why do you think the album made you commercially successful? Funny you should ask that question, because just yesterday a fan sent in a piece of video from I believe he said was from 1985, filmed at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City. The next generation is That same year, the band moved to Los Angeles, California. Starlight Theatre - Kansas City, MO. A ton of restaurants, a 10,000-seat arena where really big acts perform as well as The Wolf's Den in the heart of the casino where impressive bands play free with no cover. In 1968, Gratzer and roommate Neal Doughty started REO Speedwagon in their residence hall at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 1987's Life as We Know It saw a decline in sales, but still managed to provide the band with the top-20 hits "That Ain't Love" (U.S. #16) and "In My Dreams" (U.S. All these other bands do everything perfect, sort of like James Bond, but everything we arrange goes to cock. 3,711. Alan Gratzer. Cynics said theyd never replace Michael Schenker, but Tonka excelled himself with some gorgeous guitar-play. We thought it would be interesting and fun to let you see some of the work that isnt in the final mag, and explain why those pieces interesting The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". non-stop promo videos to a hungry US fanbase. We were pretty proud of that cover., The follow-up to that release, 79s Nine Lives, is still one of my favourite R.E.O. Nominated performers that did not make the top 10 include alt-rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, rapper Kanye West, classical conductor Georg Solti, and folk singer John Prine. [9] They teamed up with Styx to record a new single entitled "Can't Stop Rockin'", released in March 2009, as well as for a full tour that included special guest .38 Special. Firstly Kevin, it was great to finally see REO Speedwagon back in the UK again last December supporting Status Quo. In 1977 REO convinced Epic Records that their strength was in their live performances. Well I woke up the morning of the show and looked out of the window of my hotel, which was across the parking lot from the arena. Richrath was originally from the town of East Peoria which was damaged during the storm. Cher must have been in a jungle mood recently when she bought a leopard-print, hand-painted purse and a zebra-stripe ceramic bowl at the Taylor-Gratzer Boutique on Sunset Plaza. Garnet traditionally is a symbol of faith, love and constancy are its attributes. Gratzer also donates platelets on occasion. couldnt fit anything like of all his words into a two-page Q&A in Rock Candy Mag issue 2. Each outfit has a sound that's not exactly intertwined with the other, and neither needs the other to fill an amphitheateryet These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. ALAN GRATZER Chief Executive Officer 1530 Lingate Lane Santa Barbara, CA 93108 Reviews Write Review There are no reviews yet for this company.