When you”ve got it you”ve got it – and Greg Bennett”s definitely got it. And with it, Aerosmith will rock the shores of Clear Lake Friday night.
Konocti Presents will host one of the most legendary, influential bands in rock-and-roll history Friday, July 27 in the Konocti Field Amphitheater. Aerosmith, easily the biggest act to ever hit Lake County”s premier entertainment venue, will kick-off a full weekend of nostalgic, industry-shaping rock-and-roll music with Bob Dylan following on Saturday and the goddesses of rock known as Heart, closing out the weekend on Sunday.
Get a grip on any of those tickets if you can. Bennett, Konocti Presents president/general manager/promoter expects a sold-out show on both Friday and Saturday nights with a good chance that Sunday”s show will fill to capacity as well
“If you”re a classic rock fan, it can”t get much better than this,” Bennett said.
Bennett has steadily been booking top-notch entertainers for years and just when you thought he”s finally out-done himself, he goes and books a show like Aerosmith – and guess what – they called him. “I”ve been hot on their trail for about five years,” Bennett said. “After all these years it came to reality – and they called us. It was really cool to get that call.”
According to Bennett, Konocti Amphitheater will be third smallest venue Aerosmith has ever played. With a capacity of 5,000 and every seat within 200 feet of the stage, Bennett said fans don”t mind paying a little more to see their favorite rock-and-rollers up close. “For the most part, it”s an experience,” Bennett said, adding that the uniqueness of Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa, its nightclubs and its outdoor, shore-side amphitheater has an appeal all its own for both the rock star and for those who like to party like one. “Kelseyville is a cool thing for (the artists). They have a chance to relax, play on the lake and not get mobbed by a bunch of people,” Bennett said. “Northern California ought to be pretty proud of themselves.”
As for the party-seekers, most concert venues send their guests home after the final curtain falls; but not at Konocti where the party continues after the show in the lakeside nightclub below the amphitheater at the resort. And this weekend, a second party will be brewing in the showroom as well.
In the main nightclub SK2 will be rocking the night away after they open for Aerosmith. Some may remember SK2 from last year when they opened for Kid Rock and Alice In Chains during BoardStock XI. Now, Bennett has arranged for the Ukiah band to open for one of the most renowned bands of all time. “This is a real coup for them,” said Bennett, “and it shows that we are very well respected in the Aerosmith camp to get to pick our own opener.”
Along with his 18 years experience in the industry, Bennett attributes Konocti”s great success to its reputation and integrity and the ability of his staff. Well, Bennett must be doing something right. Booking talent like Aerosmith can”t be easy with the band”s 14 studio albums, two of which went platinum and 10 that earned multi-platinum status; five live albums and eight compilation recordings. Aerosmith has been topping the charts since 1973 with the release of its debut album.
Bob Dylan and Heart are equally legendary in their own rights. Dylan, whose music became influential in anti-war and civil rights movements in the 1960s, became the oldest living person to top the album charts with the release of his most recent studio album, Modern Times, on Aug. 29, 2006.
Dylan”s music has earned Grammy, Golden Globe and Academy awards. He”s a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well as the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was listed as one of TIME Magazine”s 100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century and in 2004, he was ranked No. 2 in Rolling Stone Magazine”s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, second to the Beatles.
With 30 million albums sold worldwide, Heart is a show many concert-goers look forward to seeing at Konocti every year. During last year”s performance the Wilson sisters received a standing ovation coming onto the stage and the crowd remained standing throughout the entire concert.
This year Heart fans will get a little treat. Along with timeless favorites that have survived through generations, Ann Wilson will give a little taste of her upcoming solo debut album. Hope & Glory, due out on Sept. 11, is a selection of songs that at one point or another have touched Ann is a special way. “Each of these songs holds a special place in my soul At one time or another every one of them has kept me up at night to the point of exasperation and will not be banished, as I lay sleepless on my pillow,” Ann Wilson states in a press release from Shore Fire Media. “Such songs as these carry me through my life, and they are a standard to which all new music I hear and write must compare.”
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com.
