 |
|
Savanna Times Journal – August 17, 1967
BY LARRY STEBBINS
Try to produce a sound of your own.
That's the name of the game today's musicians play. Produce it, try to sell it, and maybe, just maybe someday you'll become famous.
Today, this game is being played all over the United States. In the Midwest alone hundreds of popular teenage bands are looking for a stardom.
One band, The Road Runners, is on its way up.
The well-known Savanna band plunked its first sounds on guitar for a live audience in November 1965. The band's first appearance was at Club Swing, a local teen gathering place. Originally there were six Road Runners and practice was held in back rooms of the Savanna Greenhouses.
As of today, the Road Runners have appeared throughout the mid-west and have appeared on live television broadcasts four times. Practice usually comes twice a week, if their busy schedule will allow it.
The biggest stepping stone for the group came in the form of first place in "Showdown A Go-Go," a weekly presentation of WQAD - TV, Moline. Six other bands competed in the finals last week. Official announcement was made Wednesday night during the station's 10 o'clock news cast.
The Road Runners, comprised of Joe Sikora, 21, Dick Grissinger, 21, Kenny French, 1'7, Bill Mason, 16, and Gary Goetz, 16, have become a big drawing card for area dances. The group usually plays Friday and Saturday nights but in a week such as next they may play four nights.
So far the band has more than $8,000 tied up in the very latest musical equipment, making profits look a long way off.
One reason the Road Runners have become so popular with the young generation is their ability to reproduce the sounds of today's most popular bands. But this ability also holds the group back from creating its own original sound. In the past, the "Runners" have taken popular songs apart and rearranged them, coming up with a different sound. But soon they hope to put out their first record, playing their own sound.
Joe and Gary will probably work out the lyrics and music to their record, with the rest of the band adding their touches of talent. Only one of the group, Bill, has ever had any lessons on a musical instrument. Dick, Joe, Kenny and Gary have helped each other and watched others to develop their individual talents.
Dick is the drummer. Self-taught, he is capable of every sound a good drummer needs. Above all, Dick makes you feel the music he and the rest of the band plays. The band has become more than a part-time occupation to Dick, who also works at National Lock. He, along with the rest, knows that it takes a lot of time and practice for each week of playing.
Joe is rhythm and song. No music, no words; that's the way Joe learns. Joe has an ear for today's music, something every band needs. He is the one who usually sits by the record player catching the sounds the Road Runners will reproduce. In his spare time Joe is a student Next semester he will enroll in Highland Community College, Freeport.
Kenny is bass. Every song needs the backing-up notes of Ken's guitar. The newest member of the band, Ken spends his hours working at a gas station during the summer and attending Savanna high school the remainder of the year.
Bill is a combination organ-guitar. Every note he is unable to produce with one, he will make with the other. Bill has had 10 years of piano lessons to make him feel quite at home behind the keyboard. Bill also attends Savanna high.
Able to play any piece of equipment in the band, Gary's duty is usually found at the end of a microphone. Gary plays lead guitar during a good part of an evening's performance but is almost always found singing lead or harmony.
Gary also attends Savanna high school.
The game: Produce a sound. The players: The Road Runners. The results: Tomorrow will tell.
|
|
Savanna Road Runners 1990's - 2008
BY J MASON
In the summer of 1994 an impromptu jam session at the Riverboat Lounge turned into a quickly staged performance including Gary, Dick, Ramsey,
J, Pic, and Tim Hendrick. Kevin & Cathy Hamilton, Michael Mason and Rick Kurtz joined in making this the first of many performances by the
'Road Runners & Friends'. This assemblage which has at times brought as many as nine experienced players to the stage offering closely layered
harmonies and guitar work on top of the band's seasoned and steady rhythm section.
Live recordings done in '96 and '99 (the 'Y2K-1' reunion) comprise most of the group's 40th anniversary CD, which is still available on a
limited basis.
The group has rejoined for nine or ten of the past thirteen years, and after a two-year hiatus has committed to 'one more time' for the 2008
Fireman's Ball / Alumni weekend event. In between day jobs, kids, grandkids and other interests, there's been a little time for recording in the
past few years as well, as evidenced by the rendition of 'Summertime' here on this site and the upcoming 'Fat Jack's Jones', inspired by Savanna's
home-grown world-class BBQ sauce.
|
|
|
 |
It all started with a few friends with a love for music!
This page will tell the history of the Savanna Road Runners which starts back in 1965 when some good friends with
a love for music got together and formed the band. Read the stories on this page to get a feel of what it was like.
|
|
|
 |
Road Runners History as told by us... |
 |
The Road Runners History as told by Gary Goetz
I can remember far back 1955 when my dad and his cousins and his uncle from the Keeney family who I looked up to a lot because they were so much fun and loved to play country music and party on the weekends. When it came to work during the weekdays, he did. The music was an inspiring thing for me and got me thru those years and kept me out of trouble.
I would drag out my dads D-28 Martin guitar which he bought in 1951, the same year I was born and his brown tweed Fender Super Deluxe amp, setup on the back porch and turn the amp up to 10 and drive my mother and neighbors crazy. This was going on around 1958 and I was experimenting with feedback back then, but didn't know what other artists had capitalized on.
My dad got tired of me dragging his stuff out and then the Christmas of 1958, he got me a Montgomery Ward Airline guitar and the Christmas of 1960 he got me a Montgomery Ward 60 watt Airline amplifier. By listening to a lot of players, I was able to pick up a lot of chords and studying the Ventures, an instrumental guitar band, provided me my licks and helped me create my own licks. In Junior High I noticed other guys were picking up drums, keyboards, guitars, bass, etc. and doing school dances and the Teen Club. Bands like The Kasuals and The Nomads from Freeport, IL were bands I would watch practice if I could. The Kasuals would practice in Charlie Crisci's basement. He was the drummer of that band and I would watch them practice looking thru the basement window.
My best friend ever that I grew up with was Dick Grissinger. Being a natural born comedian, he was popular and being older than me he was hanging out with Charlie Crisci and Charlie was teaching him the drums. I was 5 years younger and couldn't get out as much to the teen activities but Dick would fill me in. I would drag my guitar with me where ever I'd go just in case there was a jam somewhere. Basement jams were the thing then if you’re not at the burger joint. Dick got a hold of Joe Sikora, a guy I knew of who was ahead of me by 6 years and had done some gigs and was a good singer /guitar player.
Mike Picolotti was a ballad singer and done some gigs also. The 4 of us Dick, Joe, Mike and I did a sock hop at Avenue School. This was a dance for 7th and 8th graders and the band name we picked was The Impressions, not knowing there was a group already known as The Impressions. We didn't keep that name except for that first gig and we changed it to Pic and the Roadrunners we still were 4 pieces we added another guitar player named Jerry French who could play Chet Atkins stuff and had that Gretsch guitar. Dick had found out that a guy named Tim Hendrick had a bass and amp and he joined us too. We practiced out at the Hendrick farm and did our first dance at the Catholic school. After that gig Jerry went on to pursue other musical ventures. Now things were really jelling and the gigs went from 1 or 2, to 3 or 4 nights a week. By then the Beatles, Monkeys, Animals, Beach Boys, British Invasion, Hullabaloo, you name it was out there. We played a lot of gigs and did television. We won the battle of the bands and got to open for Dick Clark's Happening 67 show in Rockfalls at the Rockfalls Armory. Then Tim went to the Army and Kenny French came in to play bass. The flower generation had moved in and music was changing the whole country was changing. Joe joined the Air Force; it was hard to keep the band together. The guys wanted to start their families and have to spend a majority of their commitment to that.
After several changes from The Road Runners to The 4 Americans, February 1970 came and I grabbed my guitar and hopped a train out of Savanna. Yes you could get ticket for a passenger train out of Savanna in those days. I ended up getting a lot of work through a talent agency who have seen me at gigs with the Road Runners which was doing well. They kept me busy which was what I wanted to do. This was full time and the only commitment was travel and I could do that. I joined The Mastersounds later we formed Monte Carlo and in 1971 we lost a bass player. I called Jay Mason who said yea, he come along and shortly there after Rick Kurtz from Clinton, IA joined us. Corrine was the front girl singer who I first met with The Mastersounds came over to Monte Carlo. Corrine Koenig from Appleton, WI was a pretty (hot), good singer and was a crowd pleaser on stage (the moves) if ya get my drift. Rick on drums was the most creative with his Berklee School of music experience on campus. I did take a Berklee music theory course in 1971. By the end of 1972, we decided to end Monte Carlo in Greeley, CO. Steve Hodge was our keyboard player and decided to stay and work with a band in Colorado.
We went to the Quad cities and looked for a place to setup a studio and joining us was Joe Sikora and Ramsey Mason from The Road Runners. Also was Ben Baronowski, a guitar player I met when he came in to the club in Greeley and we jammed a little. We all liked his style so he came to the Quad cities to help with the project. With the dreams of getting a record contract a strict schedule had to come along with the commitment the name of the band chosen was Childron the lineup was Ramsey Mason, Joe Sikora, Corrine Koenig, Rick Kurtz, Jay Mason, Ben Baronowski and Gary Goetz .Each member had their own time to have the studio to themselves besides rehearsal with the band. A studio master of covers and originals was recorded but the record labels said it wasn't market material that it didn't sound like Elton John or Roberta Flack, so off our separate ways we went.
I ended up in Omaha, NE joining a show band called Family Affair. It was a real hoot, because not only playing songs and such, we did comedy skits that we wrote ourselves. In 1978 Family Affair ended to yet another change the new name was Looker. Looker lasted until 1983. In 1983 my wife Sue and daughter Andrea moved to Las Vegas, NV where I joined Jonas, a rock and roll band that was The McCoys minus Rick Derringer from Hang on Sloopy days. In 1985, I got off the bus and helped mother send daughter to school got into retail management with contracting out to back other groups that needed me. It is still a joy to get back to Savanna and play with the guys and a real treat it was in 2005 to play with Dean, Denny, Tony and Mitch doing the Nomads stuff. Anybody wants to drop me a line and say hello please do and I'll get back to you. Still trucking in Vegas but stays in Vegas.
Gary Goetz
|
|
Road Runners History as told by us... |
|
The Road Runners History as seen by J Mason
Here's some history stuff that comes to mind:
Before the Road Runners Band (in late 63 or early '64), I was bassist in a band
called The Counts with Ramsey, Dean Turner on drums, I think Joe
played a couple gigs with us too, and a guy named Jim Haas from
Thomson on sax and vocals (did a wonderful version of 'Abilene').
I remember playing once or twice at the NCO club at the depot, and
maybe Lincoln Jr High School. There were some other guys who we at
least rehearsed with during that time - though my memory of actual
performances is a bit fuzzy - Jim Tack (guitar), Wayne Sanders
(guitar), and of course Mike Picolotti on vocals. Then Gary &
Dick & Joe started and Ramsey & Pic soon joined the Road Runners Band.
They had Tim Hendrick to play bass, and I wanted to play lead
guitar so I joined up with Jerry French and started The Wanderin'
Kind. We had Jack Chadwick on vocal and John Wallette and later
Tom Minnick on drums. Our first bass player was Stanley Bullis,
but he got drafted to 'Nam, (sadly - we only saw him again at
his funeral a year or so later).
When Stan was inducted, Jerry and I taught Jerry's brother Kenny
to play bass, and the band continued for more than a year playing
many of the same venues as the Road Runners Band. Though we weren't quite as big
a draw, we had a following that kept us working every weekend,
until Tim Hendrick left the Road Runners Band. They then recruited Kenny French
from us to play bass (he felt like he'd been called up to the
majors!), and The Wanderin' Kind wandered no more. A few months
later (late 67 or early 68) Dick Grissinger decided to take a
break from playing. At that point Gary put down his guitar and
took over the drum kit, I joined the group on lead guitar and the
line-up was Gary, Joe, Ramsey, Kenny and I. We played until the end
of 68 and then when Joe joined the AF the group changed its name to
the Four Americans, with several personnel changes, including my
departure from performing to chase girls on a full time basis :)
The Road Runners Band rejoined for a couple of performances in summer 71 - a raucous
party at Mix's Tap followed by a Sunday afternoon outdoor performance
at the Hi-Point. Gary was on the road at that point with Monte Carlo.
In December of that year I joined Gary on the road touring as bassist
with the 'Montes' until 1/73, at which point we broke the group up and
then reformed as Chilldron, with Gary, Joe, Ramsey, myself, Rick Kurtz
from Clinton (formerly of the 'Star Spangled Banana', Rick spent most
of 72 with Gary and I as the Monte's drummer, joining us fresh out of
his year at the Berklee School of music in Boston), Corrine Koenig
(lead female vocalist of Monte Carlo, from Asspleton, WI), and Ben
Barronowski, a Jimmy-Page-like hot guitarist who we picked up during
a month-long gig in CO. Chilldron was known (briefly) for successfully
tackling elaborate and challenging covers and few originals (a couple
samples are on the Road Runners Band's 40th Anniversary CD). The crowds though, wanted
to dance, and the group was short-lived in the absence of the record
deal that was so ardently sought in early 73.
The Roadrunners were on hiatus from 1971 until 1983, when two fairly raucous
performances occurred (both sans Gary, who was wrapped up in his touring obligations).
In March of that year the group performed at a benefit for Ronny Tipp at Manny's, and
kept the enthused crowd dancing until well past the legal limit for quitting. At the
packed bash that December at the Riverboat Lounge, 'enthusiasm' barely describes the
mood as the band rocked into the new year while friend's old and new danced on the tables,
and some even joined the band onstage to help with old standards like 'Louie Louie.
It was truly a memorable evening.
In the summer of 1994 and impromptu jam session at the Riverboat turned into a quickly staged
performance including Gary, Dick, Ramsey, J, Pic, and Tim Hendrick. Kevin & Cathy Hamilton,
Michael Mason and Rick Kurtz joined in making this the first of many performances by the
'Road Runners & Friends' assemblage which has at times brought as many as nine experienced
players to the stage offering closely layered harmonies and guitar work on top of the band's
seasoned and steady rhythm section. Live recordings done in '96 and '99 (the 'Y2K-1' reunion)
comprise most of the group's 40th anniversary CD, which is still available on a limited basis.
The group has rejoined for nine or ten of the past thirteen years, and after a two-year hiatus
as committed to 'one more time' for the 2008 Fireman's Ball / Alumni weekend event. In between
day job's, kids & grandkids and other interests, there's been a little time for recording in
the past few years as well, as evidenced by the rendition of 'Summertime' and the upcoming
'Fat Jack's Jones', inspired by Savanna's home-grown world-class BBQ sauce.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
