Alcohalted?

Valley rig-rockers Flathead face an uncertain future

Comments (0) By Bob Mehr Thursday, Jun 29 2000

The first two artists seem a natural pairing. After all, Vee made his career in the wake of Buddy Holly's death with a string of infectious, if thoroughly innocuous, singles ("Take Good Care of My Baby," "Rubber Ball," "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes"). These are songs that even in 1960 seemed destined to spend eternity being played and replayed on cool oldies radio.

The Lettermen, a wholesome BYU-bred vocal trio, similarly enjoyed success in that fruitless early '60s period sandwiched in between the birth of rock 'n' roll and the coming of the British Invasion. That was, of course, before their ill-fated 1978 Some Mormonsalbum and tour, where they were harshly criticized for the record's misogynistic lyrics and their use of a 75-foot inflatable phallus as a stage prop. Wait, maybe that was someone else entirely.

Paolo Vescia

Twangs for the memories: Kevin Daly (center) bids adieu to Flathead, while Greg Swanholm (left) and Vince Ramirez carry on.

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But exactly how did Long Island dance-pop diva Dayne get teamed with these perennial blue-hair faves? Did casino promoters sit down and think, "Hey, how about Bobby Vee, the Lettermen and . . . Taylor Dayne! Yeah, perfect!"? Whatever the process, such logic is simply beyond Bash & Pop's grasp.

Rumors are rampant, however, that the show will culminate in an all-star encore with the Lettermen and Vee joining Dayne for a rendition of "With Every Beat of My Heart."

Food and drinks will be available, and there'll be plenty of free parking with shuttles to and from the casino all night long. But be advised, there will be no cameras, video or sound equipment allowed into the venue -- part of an effort to crush the growing cottage industry that's sprung up on eBay surrounding the illegal sale of Bobby Vee bootlegs.

The Thunderous Third, featuring the Lettermen, Bobby Vee and Taylor Dayne, is scheduled for Monday, July 3, at Fort McDowell Casino. Showtime is 7 p.m.