BORN TO BE WILD

By ALECIA WARREN/Staff writer | 0 comments

The reaction is always the same, Glen Bui said. At every theater, every nightclub.

The performers launch into the familiar, laid back beginning, the vocals a little gritty, listing somewhere between rugged and sexy.

And audiences come to their feet.

That's just the power of "Magic Carpet Ride," Bui said.

"It's been in so many movies and commercials, it was such a huge hit, it's got that hypnotic, psychedelic groove to it," the lead guitarist said. "All that cosmic energy comes out of that."

Maybe his words alone confirm it - the '60s aren't totally gone yet.

Helping to sustain it is the band Magic Carpet Ride, comprised of Bui and former members of Steppenwolf, the group that cranked out hits in the late '60s and early '70s like "Magic Carpet Ride" and "Born to Be Wild."

Now touring for several years, Magic Carpet Ride boasts former Steppenwolf members Danny Ironstone, Mike Setzer, Freddy Allen and Randy Bailey, who perform all of Steppenwolf's hits, faithful to their decade of origin.

And the band will be doing so at The Grail Venue and Restaurant in Huetter, next Thursday night.

"It's just a legacy. We're just keeping it going," said Bui, who has performed with Steppenwolf Productions and also performed with original Steppenwolf members before the band broke up in the '70s."

Also gracing the stage Thursday night will be Lee Dorman, Ron Bushy, Charlie Marinkovich and Martin Gerschwitz, original members of Iron Butterfly. An icon of the '60s and the '70s, the group was the first to earn a platinum album, for "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida."

Still touring the world, the group will blast out their classic hits, including the 17-minute "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida."

"That's played on the radio every day," said Bui, who was also a member of '70s group Pegasus. "I watched that song being performed at a festival, and the crowd just surged."

The concert is part of Iron Butterfly and Magic Carpet Ride's tour of the western states, Bui said, which they hope to extend across the U.S.

Not too shabby for The Grail, situated in the tiny town of Huetter between Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls.

"It's amazing. We have legends. It's a jump up and down kind of thing," said Lang Sumner, who co-owns The Grail with his family.

He believes the venue's reputation helped land the big names, he said. The nightclub has started drawing nationally known performers, he said, like Eve 6 and Kill Devil Hill, which includes Vinnie Appice of Black Sabbath.

Sumner is hoping the appearance of these performers can attract more attention to The Grail, he said, as well as Huetter.

"These people have been all over the world and decided to come to North Idaho, and better yet Huetter, population 98," he said. "It's an amazing opportunity for local people in Coeur d'Alene to see somebody that probably won't be out there touring much longer."

Magic Carpet Ride is all about keeping it simple, Bui said. The performers jam out classic rock songs the way audiences remember them, with some judicious improvisation kicked in.

"Essentially we put it out there for the audiences just as it was in the 1960s," Bui said. "We're about as authentic as we can get."

Before and after sweating on stage, band members linger with the audience, he added, signing autographs, taking photos, swapping stories.

Some fans follow them from state to state, he said. Many have grown up with the music, and welcome the memories.

"The stories they'll tell us is they were at a show back at a certain time. 'Hey, we saw you guys back in 2006,' or 'we saw you in 1971,'" he said.

For Deon Borchard, co-owner of The Long Ear CDs and Stuff in Coeur d'Alene, the hits of the two groups take her back to her high school days, when she remembers hitting the clubs with friends and dancing under black light.

"I really do think they were influential in the culture of the time," Borchard said of Steppenwolf and Iron Butterfly.

Next week's concert could be a chance for folks to bring out their kids and grandkids, she said, to say, "this is where we were at the time."

Borchard hopes the bands hold up to the sound of the good old days, she added.

"More power to them if they can pull it off," she said. "I'm really hoping they can do a good job recreating the fun times that we had."

Doors open at 7 p.m. May 10 at The Grail at 4720 West Seltice Way. Spokane group Tommy G and the Nut Jug Band will open around 8 p.m.

Tickets are $20 in advance and can be purchased on The Grail Facebook page, at The Grail itself or by calling 665-5882. Tickets are $25 at the door.

Tickets are selling fast, Sumner said.

"We're doing our best not to sell out on this," he said. "It's just amazing to have this opportunity." - CDA Press

BELFAIR — When Molly Macomber had any challenge as a middle schooler, she knew there was one place she could count on getting help. A member of the North Mason Boys & Girls Club, she found the club’s Teen Center to be her second family.

“It’s a nice environment, and not just because of your friends,” she said. “Everybody here cares about each other.”

Now an incoming junior at North Mason High School, Molly has been a regular at the club, both during the school year and during the special summer programs.

“When I had a hard time through the years, I came here to get help with problems. I think it’s made me a better person,” she said. “It’s helped me become who I am.”

The North Mason Boys & Girls Club’s Teen Center, located on the North Mason School District Campus, has an average of about 50 middle and high school students on an average school day after school — and as many as 70 or 80 on some nights. The center has been growing for the past year or so, and Program Director Christy Garner said new programs are being added.

Among the most popular ones is a Teen Night, which is planned as a monthly event and includes things like an open mike for budding musicians and poets.

“In this area, music is a huge interest,” Garner said.

Last year, the Keystone Club, a teen leadership group within the Boys & Girls Club, also organized a “battle of the bands.” The popular event raised more than $400 toward scholarships for members who cannot afford to pay the $60 annual fee.

Also last year, the club was able to add a snack program, which was previously much smaller as it depended largely on donations, such as regular contributions from Starbucks.

“Because of the growth of the program, we were able to allocate money for healthy snacks after school,” Garner said.

For elementary school kids, the club has an after-hours program at Sand Hill Elementary, which also serves Belfair Elementary students and any other kids outside of the district (no transportation is available for out-of-district members).

An average of 40 kids attend the elementary program during the year, in addition to the roughly 50 campers participating in the summer program, hosted at the teen center. The program costs between $30 and $90 a month, depending on income.

Activities are based on core areas such as health and life skills, the arts and career development, among others. Students can also receive help with homework.

During the summer, both teens and elementary kids go on field trips to places such as the Pacific Science Center. The 10-week elementary camp had weekly themes on topics such as “creepy crawlers” (complete with bug displays), “wild animals” and “living on Hood Canal” (which included trips to Theler Center and a special program at The Farm at Water’s Edge).

“It’s a fun place and we do things we couldn’t do at home,” said Gavin Rightmyer, an incoming Hawkins Middle School sixth-grader who’s in his fourth year as a member.

Gavin and his buddy, incoming sixth-grader Trey Fisher, are regulars at the pool table. Trey, who participates in several sports, also likes to shoot baskets in the court area outside. He said this is a good place for kids to come if they tend to get into trouble.

“They (staff) teach you how to make good decisions,” he said.

The focus of the club is to enable young people to reach their full potential — including making good decisions — as well as providing a safe environment that is fun.

“The Boys & Girls Club is about building those relationships,” Garner said. “The Boys & Girls Club gives kids a place to call their own, where they can have fun, be creative, be part of a team, get help with homework or just hang out with friends.”

She said many people are still not aware about the organization’s presence in Belfair, which is why community relationships and raising awareness is part of the work. And this September, that effort will be kicked up a notch — at a fundraising event that will feature the Magic Carpet Ride band as the headliner.

Rockin’ It for the Boys and Girls

The idea for the Sept. 17 benefit concert and auction, called “Born to Be Wild,” belongs to Belfair musician Glen Bui, one of the members of the Magic Carpet Ride.

The five-member band, which has a new lineup this year, plays Steppenwolf hits under a licensing agreement with the original franchise, Steppenwolf Productions Inc., as well as some other classic rock songs.

Two years ago, the band was approached to perform at a benefit for the Boys & Girls Club of Thurston County. The event, hosted at the Great Wolf Lodge, raised $400,000 and broke attendance records for the club, Bui said.

Inspired by that success, Bui wanted to do something similar closer to home. He said he was a member of the Boys Club (back before it was called the Boys & Girls Club) and has always been supportive of the organization.

So he approached the North Mason club’s advisory board with the idea and offere - Kitsap Sun

Iron Butterfly. Steppenwolf. Jimi Hendrix. They are among the founding fathers of a music revolution the legacy of which is still felt to this day. These American psychedelic rock artists of the late 1960s, and those of the British Invasion, carried music to a new high that ultimately opened fresh vistas for rock-n-roll to stretch and grow. These are the ancestors of rock whose contributions to our musical landscape will be brought back to the stage in a live concert May 12 at ShoWare Center in Kent.

The triple bill includes: Iron Butterfly, with original members Ron Bushy on drums and Lee Dorman on bass; Magic Carpet Ride, with an all-star lineup of eight players who know a lot about the music of Steppenwolf; and The Xperience featuring RG Valentino who has Hendrix nailed down note for note.

Together, these three bands will take their audience on a ride with a vibe like rock concerts were back in the day – without the pre-recorded lip-sync, autotune, outrageous ticket prices and venues that include a “nosebleed section.” Instead, they will play and sing live in an intimate, club space created by dividing the ShoWare arena in half so that the audience can get close to the stage and have that total concert experience – and tickets are just $15-$20. A laser light show provided by Northwest Laser Light Show will accompany the well known songs and greatest hits all three bands will play, helping to transport the audience back to the glory days of the Psychedelic ‘60s.

Glen Bui plays guitar in Magic Carpet Ride. He has a wealth of experience in playing Steppenwolf’s music. He toured and performed for Steppenwolf Productions and throughout the years performed with several original members of Steppenwolf before the band broke up in 1976, giving way to many variations of bands playing Steppenwolf's greatest hits. Bui has performed with and backed famous artists like Eddie Money, Tower of Power, Cathy Metea, Waylon Jennings and Roger Fisher of Heart, among numerous others. He is co-founder of Epic Recording artists Pegasus.

“You can’t get any more authentic than us,” he said of Magic Carpet Ride, which is licensed by Steppenwolf Productions. With Bui, the band includes Mike Stezer (bass, vocals), Danny Ironstone (formerly of Steppenwolf), Randy Bailey (guitar, lead vocals), Freddy Allen (drums), Scott Kasper (keyboards, organ), Dennis Mitchell (guitars, vocals) and Dan Crenshaw (guitars).

Bui said he and longtime Iron Butterfly guitarist Charlie Marinkovich had talked about wanting to bring this type of show together. When they approached ShoWare Center general manager Tim Higgins about it, Bui said he was all for it because it fit well into ShoWare’s plan to host more such intimate concerts.

Bui said he’s excited to see Iron Butterfly perform. “The thing about them is they were the first rock band ever to win a platinum album (for ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’),” he said. “They’re iconic in that they’re still selling records and downloads.”

Iron Butterfly’s bassist going back nearly 45 years, Dorman has been involved in the music industry ever since. The band has been touring all over the world, and just got back from a European tour. Other gigs have been in Romania, Barcelona and the Canary Islands. Next week they play in Brazil. Dorman says he is loving every minute of it.

“It’s like a vacation and a payday.

“For the past 15-18 years, Ron (Bushy) and I have played as Iron Butterfly and it seems okay with people that there are only two original guys,” he said. Their band mates are Charlie Marinkovich (lead guitar, vocals) and Martin Gerschwitz (keyboards, violin, lead and back up vocals).

A Tacoma native, Dorman grew up in Lakewood and fondly remembers his youth at Lowell Elementary School and Annie Wright Academy. When asked if he ever thought he’d be playing onstage this long in his life, he laughed and said, “No, I thought I’d be dead!

“It’s astounding the band has had such success. When I first started playing, it was about the beer and the babes. I never had an idea I’d make the albums I did and still be healthy enough to play and that people want to hear it. I’m really looking forward to this gig,” he said about the upcoming show in Kent.

Musician, songwriter and producer RG Valentino headlines The Xperience. A highly sought-after studio musician, Valentino has done guitar arrangements for Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, Quincy Jones, Prince and George Clinton, to name a few. A guitar virtuoso in his own right, reviewers and fans alike praise Valentino and The Xperience for their skill at every detail in re-creating the Hendrix experience.

Door open at 6:30 and the show starts at 7:30. Tickets are available at ShoWare Center’s box office in downtown Kent (625 W. James St.), online at www.ShoWareCenter.com or by phone at 1 (866) 973-9613. Co-presented by the City of Kent Arts Commission. Check out www.magiccarpetrideinc.com, www.ironbutterfly.com and www.facebook.com/XperienceJimi. - Tacoma Weekly

Iron Butterfly. Steppenwolf. Jimi Hendrix. They are among the founding fathers of a music revolution the legacy of which is still felt to this day. These American psychedelic rock artists of the late 1960s, and those of the British Invasion, carried music to a new high that ultimately opened fresh vistas for rock-n-roll to stretch and grow. These are the ancestors of rock whose contributions to our musical landscape will be brought back to the stage in a live concert May 12 at ShoWare Center in Kent.

The triple bill includes: Iron Butterfly, with original members Ron Bushy on drums and Lee Dorman on bass; Magic Carpet Ride, with an all-star lineup of eight players who know a lot about the music of Steppenwolf; and The Xperience featuring RG Valentino who has Hendrix nailed down note for note.

Together, these three bands will take their audience on a ride with a vibe like rock concerts were back in the day – without the pre-recorded lip-sync, autotune, outrageous ticket prices and venues that include a “nosebleed section.” Instead, they will play and sing live in an intimate, club space created by dividing the ShoWare arena in half so that the audience can get close to the stage and have that total concert experience – and tickets are just $15-$20. A laser light show provided by Northwest Laser Light Show will accompany the well known songs and greatest hits all three bands will play, helping to transport the audience back to the glory days of the Psychedelic ‘60s.

Glen Bui plays guitar in Magic Carpet Ride. He has a wealth of experience in playing Steppenwolf’s music. He toured and performed for Steppenwolf Productions and throughout the years performed with several original members of Steppenwolf before the band broke up in 1976, giving way to many variations of bands playing Steppenwolf's greatest hits. Bui has performed with and backed famous artists like Eddie Money, Tower of Power, Cathy Metea, Waylon Jennings and Roger Fisher of Heart, among numerous others. He is co-founder of Epic Recording artists Pegasus.

“You can’t get any more authentic than us,” he said of Magic Carpet Ride, which is licensed by Steppenwolf Productions. With Bui, the band includes Mike Stezer (bass, vocals), Danny Ironstone (formerly of Steppenwolf), Randy Bailey (guitar, lead vocals), Freddy Allen (drums), Scott Kasper (keyboards, organ), Dennis Mitchell (guitars, vocals) and Dan Crenshaw (guitars).

Bui said he and longtime Iron Butterfly guitarist Charlie Marinkovich had talked about wanting to bring this type of show together. When they approached ShoWare Center general manager Tim Higgins about it, Bui said he was all for it because it fit well into ShoWare’s plan to host more such intimate concerts.

Bui said he’s excited to see Iron Butterfly perform. “The thing about them is they were the first rock band ever to win a platinum album (for ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’),” he said. “They’re iconic in that they’re still selling records and downloads.”

Iron Butterfly’s bassist going back nearly 45 years, Dorman has been involved in the music industry ever since. The band has been touring all over the world, and just got back from a European tour. Other gigs have been in Romania, Barcelona and the Canary Islands. Next week they play in Brazil. Dorman says he is loving every minute of it.

“It’s like a vacation and a payday.

“For the past 15-18 years, Ron (Bushy) and I have played as Iron Butterfly and it seems okay with people that there are only two original guys,” he said. Their band mates are Charlie Marinkovich (lead guitar, vocals) and Martin Gerschwitz (keyboards, violin, lead and back up vocals).

A Tacoma native, Dorman grew up in Lakewood and fondly remembers his youth at Lowell Elementary School and Annie Wright Academy. When asked if he ever thought he’d be playing onstage this long in his life, he laughed and said, “No, I thought I’d be dead!

“It’s astounding the band has had such success. When I first started playing, it was about the beer and the babes. I never had an idea I’d make the albums I did and still be healthy enough to play and that people want to hear it. I’m really looking forward to this gig,” he said about the upcoming show in Kent.

Musician, songwriter and producer RG Valentino headlines The Xperience. A highly sought-after studio musician, Valentino has done guitar arrangements for Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, Quincy Jones, Prince and George Clinton, to name a few. A guitar virtuoso in his own right, reviewers and fans alike praise Valentino and The Xperience for their skill at every detail in re-creating the Hendrix experience.

Door open at 6:30 and the show starts at 7:30. Tickets are available at ShoWare Center’s box office in downtown Kent (625 W. James St.), online at www.ShoWareCenter.com or by phone at 1 (866) 973-9613. Co-presented by the City of Kent Arts Commission. Check out www.magiccarpetrideinc.com, www.ironbutterfly.com and www.facebook.com/XperienceJimi. - Tacoma Weekly

POULSBO — Magic Carpet Ride, comprised of several former members of Steppenwolf, headlines at the fifth annual Americana Music Festival Sept. 8 at Muriel Iverson Williams Waterfront Park in Poulsbo.

The music festival is free and begins at 11 a.m. with an opening ceremony and a brief 9/11 memorial. Music and events will continue all day until 7:30 p.m.

Magic Carpet Ride will perform classic Steppenwolf hits like “Born To Be Wild” and “Magic Carpet Ride,” as well as other hard-rock hits from the 1970s.

Also on the lineup: Soul Siren, Swing Fever, Bremerton Symphony Quartet, Down Goes Frazier, the North Kitsap High School Marching band and more. This one-day event will include local food vendors and an expanded kids zone, with a bounce house, dunk tank, face painting, games, treats and more. Local businesses will showcase their products and services. Nonprofits will be on hand too.

Back to the headliners.

Magic Carpet Ride is comprised of some diverse talent in music: guitarist Glen Bui of Belfair, bassist/vocalist Mike Setzer, musician/songwriter Danny Ironstone, keyboardist Scott Kasper, vocalist Alfred Bosco, and drummer Donn Garrett.

Magic Carpet Ride’s performance will feature a special guest: Molly Walmsley, an aspiring vocalist and student at Kingston High School, will join the band for “Simple Man.” She responded to an invitation to local schools from festival organizers. (Her videos are uploaded at www.youtube.com/user/missmolly2233).

Bui, a San Francisco native, studied under Joe Satriani and co-founded Pegasus, which was signed to Epic Records. He toured and performed in a version of Steppenwolf with Kent Henry in 1980, and played in several variations of bands playing Steppenwolf’s greatest hits, including Goldy McJohn & Friendz, led by Steppenwolf founding keyboardist McJohn. (Original Steppenwolf member John Kay and his group performs as John Kay & Steppenwolf.) Bui has also performed with and backed many famous artists, among them Eddie Money, Tower of Power, and Kathy Mattea.

Setzer has shared the stage with Matthew and Gunnar Nelson (of Nelson), Leroy Powell of the Shooter Jennings Band, Arlan Schierbaum of Jemimah Puddleduck, and Brian “Dogboy” Burwell of Neve. He’s also opened for Los Lonely Boys, P.O.D., Lotus, and The Atomic Punks, among others.

Ironstone has recorded as a studio musician since 1972. He signed as a songwriter/producer to Island Music in 1979 and has been a published ASCAP songwriter since then, as well as a record producer, vocal coach, and touring keyboard player.

He’s played with John Kay & Steppenwolf, Anita Baker, and The Pointer Sisters, and he can be heard on songs recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Sheena Easton, Brenda Russell, Sylvia St. James, Jess Roden, The Carpenters, Chaka Kahn, Randy Crawford, The McCrarys, Rita Coolidge, Priscilla Coolidge, and Booker T and the MGs.

Kasper performed with many local blues and jazz bands, and is the house pianist at the Paramount Theater in Seattle.

Magic Carpet Ride can still rock, but there’s a softer side to this group — it’s all about the music and having a good time performing, Bui said. In 2009, Magic Carpet Ride played a special concert for the Thurston County Boys and Girls Club at the Great Wolf Lodge; the event raised more than $400,000.

Magic Carpet Ride drew an audience of 500 to a 2010 concert in Saratoga, N.Y. to benefit an organization that serves individuals with disabilities and their families. More than $70,000 was raised.

Magic Carpet Ride helped sell out Full Moon Fest 2011, a benefit for The American Cancer Society, in Quilcene.

Chamber, Coffee Oasis beneficiaries of event
The Americana Music Festival (http://poulsbomusicfest.webs.com) is an annual fundraiser for the Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce and a local nonprofit selected each year. This year, Coffee Oasis, an outreach program for homeless youth, has been selected. Coffee Oasis will open a new location in Poulsbo this fall.

It’s a big weekend for the area, with other activities taking place in and around the Americana Music Festival.

The Poulsbo Rotary will host a Boating Rendezvous, with visiting boaters mooring for the weekend at Poulsbo Marina and in Liberty Bay. The Artwalk will take place in downtown Poulsbo. The Farmers Market will be open. And it will be Poulsbo Park Day at the city’s parks. - North Kitsap Herald