FOGHAT LAUNCHES THEIR 2024 U.S.TOUR TO SOLD-OUT ANNA MARIA ISLAND CROWD IN FLORIDA!

 FOGHAT 

L I V E 

AT THE CENTER OF 

ANNA MARIA ISLAND

WEST OF BRADENTON FLORIDA

Classic Rock & Blues legends Foghat opened their U.S. tour last Saturday night at The Center of Anna Maria Island west of Bradenton, Florida in front of a jam-packed sold-out auditorium and all the band members wives, which was made abundantly clear several times during the night by singer Scott Holt.

It was my first concert to cover at The Center in the heart of beautiful Anna Maria Island to kick off The Bradenton Gulf Island Concert Series.

A well-organized event with standing room only. Before the show I discovered Foghat taking pictures with some of their perhaps most loyal fans in a back room, so I grabbed my concert partner in crime and loyal photographer Mark Weaver and got a shot with the band. I conducted a zoom interview with legendary drummer and founding member Roger Earl on December 11th to promote their most recent release, Foghat’s seventeenth studio album ‘Sonic Mojo’ and upcoming U.S. tour.

ROGER EARL ZOOM INTERVIEW  

 Opening the show was singer-songwriter ‘Caruso’ (308 Ghost Train) with an acoustic set.

Foghat opened their set with an immediate crowd favorite, the 1975 hit “Fool for the City” written by the late Dave Peverett also known as Lonesome Dave. I witnessed the original Foghat lineup ten times over the years, from a third billing act supporting rock heavyweights to eventually top billing at large venues around the Washington D.C. area. I am usually one to criticize when only one or no original members are still performing under the original band name, but it’s certainly not the case with Foghat. In this case, Foghat could also be classified as The Rock Legend All-stars! The current lineup was simply magnificent in every way and loaded with rock legend familiarity and talent! 

FOGHAT LINEUP

ROGER EARL

 Savoy Brown member in 1968-70 and original Foghat drummer since its inception in 1971. As a side note, Roger Earl unsuccessfully auditioned for the Jimi Hendrix Experience. 

Just imagine if he got the gig.

BRYAN BASSETT 

Lead guitar and slide and has over 40 years’ experience as a professional musician and recording artist and 30 years’ experience as a recording engineer and producer. He began his career with Wild Cherry (“Play that Funky Music” a number 1 hit in 1976) and played with Lonesome Dave's Foghat and Molly Hatchet.

SCOTT HOLT

Lead singer, lead guitarist, songwriter was a member of blues legend Buddy Guy’s band. Scott has recorded and/or performed with a host of blues legends including B.B. King, Albert Collins, Junior Wells, John Lee Hooker, Otis Rush, Willie Dixon, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Mitch Mitchell, Billy Cox, Buddy Miles, Albert King, and Steve Miller among others.

RODNEY O' QUINN

Bass player, vocalist was a member of the Pat Travers Band before joining Foghat. Rodney also performed with the likes of Derek St Holmes (Ted Nugent), Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad/Mark Farner’s American Band), and Ronnie Montrose (Edgar Winter Group/Montrose/Gamma).

My favorite selections of the evening were the tracks from their new album ‘Sonic Mojo’ which entered at number one for Blues albums on the Billboard charts and remains in the top ten. “She’s a little Bit of Everything” and “Black Days and Blue Nights” from the new album followed their 1973 classic “Road Fever.” 

Ex Roger Earl bandmate from his Savoy Brown days, the late Kim Simmonds contributed several songs on the new album that were included in their set like “Drivin’ On.” Savoy Brown ex bandmates Pat DeSalvo and Garnet Grimm have recently teamed up with local guitar hero and Florida Music Hall of Fame inductee Sean Chambers to form Sean Chambers and the Savoy Brown Rhythm Section. I interviewed the band on zoom five months ago.

SEAN CHAMBERS

 WITH EX SAVOY BROWN MEMBERS

ZOOM INTERVIEW

Also, from the new album a Willie Dixon cover “Let Me Love You Baby” and one of my favs that should be a top40 hit if I had anything to do with it, “I Don’t Appreciate You.”

“I Just Want to Make Love to You” the timeless classic written by Willie Dixon in 1954 and recorded by Muddy Waters and eventually given to Foghat to record in 1972 ended the setlist before the encore. The current lineup performed the song immaculately, Willie and Muddy would be proud and honored.

The night concluded with Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music” because of Bryan Bassett’s association with the band and Foghat’s most recognized rock anthem their 1975 hit “Slow Ride” from their fifth studio album, Fool for the City. “Slow Ride” was named the 45th "Best Hard Rock" song of all time by VH1.

After the show, the band came out to meet their fans.

A GREAT BAND AND A FUN NIGHT FOR ALL!

-By music journalist Ray Shasho

 Very special thanks to photographer Mark Weaver for all the Foghat photos. All the the live photos of Foghat featured in this article were shot by Mark Weaver.

Special thanks to Rose Nangano for arranging the show entry and photo access. You are the best!

And of course, special thanks to everyone at The Center of Anna Maria Island for a great evening! 

PURCHASE

THE BRAND-NEW RELEASE

BY

f o g h a t

Entitled

SONIC MOJO

available at

https://foghat.lnk.to/SonicMojoPR

and amazon.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION

ABOUT

f o g h a t 

VISIT

https://foghat.com/

Official website

https://www.facebook.com/Foghat

Facebook

https://www.instagram.com/foghat_official/

Instagram

https://www.youtube.com/user/FOGHATMUSIC

YouTube

https://www.pinterest.com/foghatmusic/

Pinterest

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6x33CmZWo2Ve4hxYl2Craq

Spotify

https://vinoshipper.com/shop/foghat_cellars

https://foghatcellars.com/

Foghat wines

 

f o g h a t 

TOUR DATES

2024

Anna Maria, FL   The Center For Anna Maria Island

Jan. 20, 2024

Indio, CA   Fantasy Springs Resort Casino

Jan. 26, 2024

Enoch, AB   River Cree Resort & Casino

Feb. 2, 2024

Bremerton, WA   Admiral Theatre

Feb. 9, 2024

Las Vegas, NV   The Golden Nugget

Feb. 17, 2024

Parker, CO   Pace Center

Feb. 18, 2024

Solana Beach, CA   Belly Up Tavern

Mar. 9, 2024

Silver Spring, MD   Rock And Roll For Children 2024

Mar. 29, 2024

Van Wert, OH   NIswonger Performing Arts Center

Apr. 19, 2024

Belleville, IL   The Lincoln Theatre

Apr. 20, 2024

Tiffin, OH   The Ritz Theater

Jul. 18 - 20, 2024

Walker, MN   Moondance Jam

Aug. 23 - 25, 2024

Gatlinburg, TN   The Mountain Music Festival

 

Discography

Studio albums

Year         Title

1972 Foghat

1973 Foghat (Rock and Roll)

1974 Energized

Rock and Roll Outlaws

1975 Fool for the City

1976 Night Shift

1978 Stone Blue

1979 Boogie Motel

1980 Tight Shoes

1981 Girls to Chat & Boys to Bounce

1982 In the Mood for Something Rude

1983 Zig-Zag Walk

1994 Return of the Boogie Men

2003 Family Joules

2010 Last Train Home

2016 Under the Influence

2023 Sonic Mojo

 

Live albums

1977 Foghat Live

1998 Road Cases (live 1996)

2003 Decades Live

2007 Foghat Live II

2017 Live at the Belly Up

2021 8 Days on the Road

 

Compilations

Best of Foghat (1985)

Best of Foghat Volume 2 (1992)

Best of Foghat (Rhino Special Edition) (1992)

Slow Ride and Other Hits (1997)

Anthology (1999)

Hits You Remember Live (2001)

Live 2000 (2001)

The Essentials (2002)

The Definitive Rock Collection Double CD (2006)

Allman Brothers Band guitar legend Dickey Betts plays benefit in Sarasota

By Ray Shasho

Classic rock guitarist Dickey Betts and his band Great Southern played for two year old Emalynn Roberts Saturday night at Hershberger Property on Fruitville Road in Sarasota. The fundraiser was organized by “Sarasota’s Littlest Heroes”, a non-profit charity founded in 2008 by three Sarasota Sheriff’s deputies dedicated to helping the sick children of Law Enforcement Officers in the Southwest Florida Region. http://sarasotaslittlestheroes.org/

Two-year old Emalynn Roberts was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy last summer, and is on a ventilator. http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/chronic-inflammatory-polyneuropathy Her parents Deputy Sheriff James Roberts and Katie Roberts began to worry about a year ago when she was having trouble with her balance. Now the disease has moved into Emalynn's arms, and she has little use of them. It also settled in her upper respiratory system. Her parents desperately need help to pay for medical costs that their insurance won’t cover. She’s already had two treatments and the hope is for much better results on a third.

You can donate and help Emalynn Roberts by clicking on the Pay Pal button on the link below (it’s fast and safe) http://sarasotaslittlestheroes.org/?p=1
Or you can mail your donation to Sarasota’s Littlest Heroes Foundation (For Emalynn Roberts) 7515 Proctor Road Sarasota, Fl  34241. Please call Dave Clark at (941)375-1230 for further information.

The event itself seemed like a thousand neighbors coming together and having fun for a good cause. And Dickey Betts just happened to be one of their neighbors. It was an extremely cold night. Earlier in the day there was great barbecue. But when the sun disappeared everyone scrambled to the hot coffee tables.
At 9:35 pm, Betts walked out from a large motor coach and journeyed through an open field with his posse to a tent covered stage.

I reminisced with them earlier outside the vehicle about those infamous stories at the Oar House in Bradenton Beach in the late 70’s. There was lots of partying going on and the Allman Brothers Band playing into the wee hours. When the Oar House burned down, Gregg Allman still had an outstanding bar tab, but all was forgiven. http://www.allmanbrothersband.com/

Dickey Betts had some pretty stiff competition on stage with him on Saturday night. He was a young guitar slinger that mimicked many of Dickey’s famous licks and facial expressions. His name is Duane Betts, Dickey’s son, and a member of Great Southern. If you close your eyes, you’d have a hard time deciding who Papa Betts was. Duane is a truly amazing guitarist. And it’s good to know that the Betts southern rock legacy will continue to rock on. http://www.dickeybetts.com/

Betts played many of the crowd pleasers like Jessica, Blue Sky, One way out, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, and Ramblin’ Man. Betts can combine country, jazz, blues, and rock into one amazing sound.

Betts, a Bradenton native, had formed a band in Florida with bassist Berry Oakley. One night they jammed with another local group featuring Duane and Gregg Allman, and The Allman Brothers Band formed in 1969. After the death of Duane Allman in 1971, Betts became the bands sole guitarist.

Dickey Betts was inducted along with the rest of The Allman Brothers Band into the rock and roll hall of fame in 1995.  The 1995 Induction Ceremony

I spoke with Dave Clark one of the founders for “Sarasota’s Littlest Heroes” and he estimated that the event raised about thirty thousand dollars. But your donations are still needed.
Please help Emalynn Roberts. http://sarasotaslittlestheroes.org/?p=1

You can contact me at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

Continue reading on Examiner.com: http://www.examiner.com/classic-rock-music-2-in-st-petersburg/ray-shasho