Rock Around the Blog

Welcome to "Rock Around the Blog"

You've found the source for what’s new at the Rockbox Theater in Fredericksburg, Texas.  Put a quarter in the jukebox and see what’s playing. . .

Name Dropping

For those of you who've followed us long enough to know, I have two words for you: Frankie Fontaine. Yes, that's right -- he's back this weekend with Chiquita and Styles.

For those who haven't the foggiest idea who Frankie is -- Frankie is...well, he's...uh...my apologies...words fail me. Perhaps it’s best if you come and see for yourself.

Happy Birthday to Us!

Wow -- I got so busy, I forgot to mention it!  This past month marked our one-year anniversary at the Rockbox.  We feel so blessed and so welcomed in our new Fredericksburg home.  And a big thank you to all of the faithful fans who have helped us keep rockin’ during the first year of our maiden voyage.  Here’s to many more years of family-friendly entertainment in the prettiest little spot in Texas:-)

Celebrate America at the Rockbox

Hey gang, don’t forget to make your favorite theater a part of your July 4^th weekend celebration. We’ve got a special show lined up for you -- along with inspiring patriotic selections, you’ll experience our usual “plateful” of rock n’ roll, country and rhythm and blues!  Oh, and I’m not really supposed to tell you this, but you can expect special appearances by the Eagles, Johnny Cash, the Divine Miss M, and of course, Mo & Bro.

One more thing to remember: our usual 8 PM showtime on Friday, July 4^th has been changed to 4:30 PM -- so you’ll have plenty of time to catch the fireworks show in Fredericksburg that evening.

See ya soon:-) 

The Best bass player around. . .

Who is that guy?  If you’ve been to the Rockbox Theater in the last few months, you’ve no doubt noticed our new full-time bass player.  And if you’ve seen his long hair and moustache, you may think he looks more like he just stepped off the pages of a Louis L’Amour novel.  But once he gets behind the bass guitar, there’s no doubt what he’s there to do.  We’re proud to have Mark Best on board, and we recently asked him a few questions, so you could get to know him better:

-Okay, first things first -- a musician with the last name of “Best”?  That is just too convenient.  Is that your real name?

Yes my real last name is Best.  It's of German origin.

-Well, you knew it was coming -- the obligatory “musical influences” question.  Who did you listen to and respond to growing up? 

As a child, I was raised on classical music; but the first teenage musical influence was The Beatles.  I also enjoyed folk music artists, such as Peter Paul and Mary, and later I got into some of the singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell and James Taylor.

-Anyone that’s seen you around town knows that you have a certain “western flair” to your look and demeanor.  Did you develop an affinity for the old west as a child, or are you just naturally Texan through and through?

I became enchanted with the books and movies of Larry McMurtry (the "Lonesome Dove Saga").  There are four books covering the lives of Texas Rangers Augustus McCrea and Woodrow F. Call.  Also, I just enjoy western riding and the western lifestyle in general.
-Tell us a little about your music education background.  Where and how many years did you teach?

I was raised in a musical family. My father taught choir and voice for Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene.  I started violin lessons at the age of 11.  Singing in the school choir and learning classical guitar followed soon after.  After studying music in college, I started teaching orchestra for the Abilene I.S.D.  27 years (and a couple of other teaching jobs) later, I finished up my public school teaching with Socorro I.S.D. in El Paso.

-27 years – wow!  What parts did you find most rewarding about teaching music to youth?

Besides the obvious training in music, I wanted my students to understand the energy and passion that well-performed music requires.  It was magical to listen to them play and be successful.

-No doubt you bring a lot of experience to the table at Rockbox.  How did you find out about the theater?

I was first asked to substitute on bass one weekend.  I was really surprised to find such a great and wonderful venue in Fredericksburg!
-You stepped into a huge catalog of material.  Is it difficult to keep up with all of the new songs you guys are learning from week to week?

The large volume of music is a daunting task, especially because the shows change every week. Our pianist Cass
Moore has been most helpful.
-Okay let’s be honest – for a bass player, some styles are more interesting to play than others, right?  So stylistically speaking, which bass parts make you fall asleep and which ones make you lick your musical chops with excitement?

I would have to say that the least interesting for me wold be the Elvis material.  We perform it well, but it is the least challenging to play.  On the other hand, I really enjoy the Motown tunes, because the whole cast seems to lock in to the groove really well.

Carey Dyer wins Gibson guitar

Along with performing on stage at Rockbox Theater, our cast members have artistic pursuits that go beyond the stage.

We are proud to announce that our own Carey Dyer is a winner in the 2008 jingle competition for the Texas Department of Transportation.

The submission-based contest was to create a sixty-second jingle to help TXDOT remind people to register their vehicles.

Carey, a resident cast member at Rockbox Theater, says, ''I came across this contest on the web and thought, why not? When I'm not on stage, I enjoy songwriting and especially acapella vocal arrangements. I was thrilled to hear that they liked my song.”

As one of four winners, Carey has already won a custom-designed Epiphone Texan Guitar by Gibson. We’d like to congratulate Carey on a job well done!

Click on the link below to watch a video of Carey receiving the guitar at the Gibson factory in Austin.

On stage this weekend, Carey will be performing his tour de force, the '68 Comeback Special. Don't miss these performances. Carey has not performed this segment since 2007.

For reservations, call 1-866-349-6688.

KVUE Austin news coverage

Sponsor a Wounded Hero on May 4th

Would you like to say thank you to a soldier who has put their life on the line to preserve your freedom? On May 4, 2008, you can.

On Sunday, May 4, Rockbox Theater, the Fredericksburg Rotary, the NimitzMuseum, and a number of local restaurants will host 40 wounded service men and women and their families for a day of rest and relaxation...and you are invited to participate.

The military men and women currently reside at the Brooke Medical Center in San Antonio, a premier facility for military medical procedures. Wounded soldiers are flown in to BAMC from all over the world in a program called 'Warriors in Transition'.

Highlighted by a 1:30 Sunday show at Rockbox Theater, you can help honor our wounded heroes by providing them with bus transportation, brunch on Main Street at participating restaurants (including Winslow’s, Wheeler’s, and Buffalo Nickel), and free time for shopping and sightseeing.

Here's how you can help....

Your $100 sponsorship will provide a wounded serviceman or woman and their family:

** Round trip bus transportation from BAMC to Fredericksburg
** Lunch at participating restaurants on Main St.
** Sunday matinee show at Rockbox Theater
** Reception at The Nimitz following the show

As a thank you to each sponsor, Rockbox Theater will issue a gift certificate for two tickets, best available seating, valid until 8/31/08 (a value of up to $86.00).

Rockbox is accepting 40 sponsors for 40 soldiers and their families; and, the theater will handle the details, with funds turned over to the Rotary Club to pay for the meals and the transportation.

Call now to sponsor a Wounded Hero...1-866-349-6688.

The sweetest gal you've never met. . .

You’ve heard her voice:  “Hello, Rockbox Theater.  This is Danice speaking.  How may I help you?”  But just who is that nice gal on the other end of the line?  Well, your bloggin dee-jay, Johnny Hits, scored an interview so you can get to know Danice Weaver. Any cast member will tell you -- it takes a whole lot of dedicated people to keep things running smoothly at the Rockbox.  And besides being one of the hardest-working behind-the-scenes employees at Rockbox Theater, Danice also happens to be one of the nicest folks you’ll ever meet.

Danice, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Well, I have an incredible family.  Jim and I have been married for 24 years this April and we have one 15 year-old, Amber.  We stay really busy -- you won’t find us with many lazy hours.  We have a Chocolate Lab (Reece) and a cockatiel (Baylor -- Amber has wanted to attend Baylor since she was in 4^th grade!)  We are currently building our dream house and can’t wait to move in (hopefully sometime in July).

No doubt it takes a lot of work to keep the “Rockbox machine” running all week long.  Give us a rundown of your typical day.

First, I retrieve all of the messages from the evening before.  Then I take care of those guests, securing their reservations and answering questions.  Next, on any given day, I have all sorts of “special projects” from our creative director, whom I have had the privilege of working with for many years now.  Every single customer is very important to us and we hope that it shows.  From the time someone makes plans to attend, special care has been taken to make sure your reservations are correct.  As a matter of fact, each individual reservation is looked at and verified at least three times. 

Danice, you probably talk to our patrons more than anyone.  What do the fans like about Rockbox and what keeps them coming back for more?

Without a doubt it’s the quality of entertainment – the cast and crew are just awesome.  Second to that, I think it’s the feeling that our fans get that they are truly appreciated and important to us.  And they are.

Okay, we couldn’t get though this interview without one small sales pitch.  Any deals or upcoming events that you think our readers want to know about?

This one is easy for me!  Season Tickets are a great value.  Something that I would like to clear up -- the season passes are not for the 12-month calendar year.  Rather, they are good for one year from the date of purchase.  So I’d like to encourage everyone to purchase season passes, use them for yourself, and share the Rockbox experience with your family and friends. 

And regarding upcoming events, I am really excited and touched to be a small part of the “Special Event” coming up in May (read more about it on this blog).

And finally, what’s your favorite thing about working for Rockbox?

I truly enjoy our guests and love the people I work with.  We are a group of people who have been brought together for a specific purpose. 

Don't forget. . .

Just a reminder to our fans:  we’ll have no performance on Easter Sunday.  But the rest of the weekend, we’ll have a plate-full of oldies but goodies:-)

Rockbox schedule

Have you seen the Rockbox video?

Hear ye, Hear ye!

Okay, the primaries are over, the results are in.  So now what?  Well, I’d like to cast my vote for some classic rock n’ roll!

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again:  “Rock Around the Blog” is the source for sneak peaks into the inner workings of Rockbox Theater.  And a little bird told me that their newest labor of love this weekend is a rockin’ set of classic Clapton -- Eric, that is.  Wait until you hear Russ and TJ pull off awesome renditions of some of Clapton’s classic hits.

And that’s just a taste of what’s cookin’ this weekend at your favorite music venue.  So call now for reservations.  No really, I mean right now.  Why are you still reading this?  You should be dialing by now. . .

Just kidding:-)  This has been a white-hot update from your bloggin’ dee-jay, Johnny Hits.  I’m signing off the web and reminding you:  “We’re saving a seat for you at the Rockbox!”