Updated 19 April 1998. URL is http://our.tentativetimes.net/rab/belairs2.html
If you are stuck in a frame at another site, click on this line to break free
The Bel Airs at the Amvets
|
Twist Contest Winners |
Ellie Henderson and Doug Boren won "Best Costumes" |
The Bel Airs at the Amvets in Waynedale! This was the kind of dance all dances should be! April 18, 1997 should go down in history as the ultimate party night. Linda Becker had a terrific 50s outfit with pedal pushers, a Pink Ladies jacket and all the verve you could hope for. Here she shares a laugh with Jake Bel Air.
A man in the audience told me to get more action shots; Janice Nunn advised me to get more action shots, so I tried to get more action shots. This meant getting in the way of the dancers. Otto apolgizes for that.
This man had his birthday during the Amvets’ Rockin 50s Sock Hop.
See more of Jake below.
John Bel Air handles the lights and sound, plays accordion on some songs and sings back-up vocals from his work station. Whew! What a worker! That’s like patting your head while rubbing your stomach.
This photo of John was taken in darkness with a Sony Mavica. Nice camera, nice man.
It was great to visit with Jennifer, drummer Brad Bel Air’s friend, during breaks in the show. She’s fun to talk to; she has a wide variety of interests including cats. Here she and Brad stand in front of an Amvets members’ snapshot collage.
Here are two good snaps of Jake Bel Air. Our digital camera is amazing when it works, not so great when I shoot under black light, as you saw on the Twistin’ Tarantulas page. (Note to self, buy ultraviolet camera filter.) Jake sang many of the leads and played every song. Music is hard work.
Who baked those banana-walnut cookies for the audience? Ace fan Janice Nunn, that’s who. Thanks, Janice, seen here with friend Frank Wideman. Janice makes every Bel Airs show she possibly can, and this is the lady who had the band play at her birthday party. Did you see her tattoo of the Buddy Holly portrait on Joe Bel Air’s late lamented bass?
Okay, boys and girls, who can tell us why this is an historic photograph? It’s your first look at Dart Davis without his mohawk! Yes, he cropped his top to please his employers. It isn’t a sell-out! He got a nice promotion for his pains. And now Destination Detox (playing at the Sportsman on Saturday April 24th) will have only one head rooster. Wait to see the Destination Detox photo page that is soon to be born…. Dart said the band has an upcoming all ages show at Sunset Hall.
Laura was a knockout in her black vamp dress and platinum hair. They had a great weekend in Dayton with C.O.H. after their last Sportsman appearance. Looks like Destination Detox finally has it all together after someone made off with their equipment. They’re back in action.
Should we keep it a secret that Dart and Laura just bought a house eligible for the National Historic Register? They are restoring it. Laura’s 140 pound puppy enjoys the space.
Dart caused a few raised eyebrows when he made his grand entrance, but the crowd soon came to know he wasn’t a threat. The entire room seemed to meld together. We had our 50’s people, our leathers, our ZZ Tops, our square dancers, our western wearers, our collegiate weekend sportsmen, and a man with a beer can glued to his head, and everyone had the time of their lives. The entire mob was served by one single waitress and two bartenders. That was amazing!! No problem!
See this Jason Hart tattoo on Rick May and the James Dean portrait done by Donny Manco. By the way, Donny says I can’t start a page on him until he opens a studio. I can’t wait!
Down on the dance floor, Joe shows us why he’s the baddest bass player in Waynedale. The mystery is solved as to why this band hasn’t toured the whole US and Europe. Joe says they have day jobs, and they intend to stay local. That doesn’t mean they won’t record, does it, Joe?
Watch your newspaper and your Whatz Up for the Saturday Night open dances at the Waynedale Amvets. These are genuine homefolks, and you will love them.
And then everybody danced naked. Whoa — Joe Bel Air wrote that in my notes! Nah, never happened. What happened was that every chair had an ashtray, and the smoke level was pretty bad. The ceiling fans worked hard, but I didn’t see an air-handling system. If you can’t handle smoke, you can’t handle this venue. (I still have a headache Sunday afternoon, and I don’t drink.) Also there was popcorn but the kitchen was closed by the time I arrived, about 9:15. So eat early, or phone to find out if there will be any kitchen service.
Further Information
and booking via
[email protected]
The Bel Airs page for the Mad Anthony Brewing Company grand opening is just a click away. Have you seen it yet??
Here are a few of Otto’s many music pages:
To an Index of Our Music Pages
To The House of Jazz & Blues page?
To Columbia Street West
Otto’s home port is Otto’s Cover
The Bel Airs are who started The Blue Moon Boys on their course to glory, and both bands helped set up The Red Ball Jets. All honor is due The Bel Airs!! You will be a fan for life once you spend a night with them.
If this page took too long to load, write and tell us what browser you were using, where you are, and the time of day. Maybe these pages need to be broken into several smaller pages. Drop Otto a line
This site is 100% speech friendly, for anyone vision-impaired.
Parlor City Internet is Our sponsor, for which we are very grateful.
The opinions expressed by the writers in Our Tentative Times do not represent the opinions of the sponsors, advertisers, publisher, man in the street, the peacock lobby, pundits, the Bel Airs, researchers, James Bond Goes Surfing, graduate students, Those Legendary Shack Shakers, tuna fishermen, The Red Ball Jets, Crowbar, drugstore cowboys, The Chronics, The Deans, The Blue Moon Boys or any governmental, educational. fraternal, patriotic or recreational organization. They are just the writers’ opinions.
Otto is published by Terry L. Miller, email [email protected]
Send additions and comments to Sandra Weinhardt, [email protected]