Daffodil Festival announces entertainment.....

The Meriden Daffodil Festival committee does a wonderful job lining up music entertainment for its annual festival with the exception of the headliners, going for the familiar name oldies acts for fear that no one will attend. The problem with that approach is a common one - the oldies acts, for the most part, are not the original cast. Last year I sat through a dreadful Vegas-type rendering of old Turtles material by Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (a/k/a Flo and Eddie), but at least they were major players in the Turtles. In many cases, the current band members bear little, if any, resemblance to the original cast, a complete ripoff. That's the case with the Buckinghams, one of this year's headliners, which claims only the bass player and drummer from the original group. On the other hand, Gary U.S. Bonds is one and the same AND has continued to record original material over the years (with assistance from the Boss)to decent reviews by the music press. One only hopes that the Southington Apple Harvest Festival (under the direction of Johnny Gumbo) takes heed. The Fest is held on Saturday/Sunday April 28/29 at Hubbard Park.

2007 MUSICAL HEADLINERS

Gary US Bonds

The Buckinghams

Gary Burr

2007 LOCAL/REGIONAL

The Gonkus Brothers River City Slim & The Zydeco Hogs Mark Mulcahy The Reducers The Manchurians Frank Critelli Sean, Kelli & Wayne T.U.B. Groppo Sencationale F. B. I. Divisi Kitty Kitty Bang Bang I.N.I.T.Y. Plan B With Boulder Shawn Dharma Brown

Ryan Hartt & The Blue Hearts Rope Melissa Mulligan Band Shellye Valauskas Experience The Furors The Can Kickers The Paul Brockett Roadshow Band The Mountain Movers The RiverStreet Band Big Fat Combo Carlos & Roy Maloney High School Jazz Ensemble Paul Pender Bop Tweedie and the Days Michael Cleary Band