Remembering Roger
Rocking The Dells
Palace Theater
Ranking Roger
He was a pioneer of the second wave of ska that emerged from the late ‘70s punk revolution that
changed rock music forever. Ranking Roger (aka Roger Charley) of The English Beat and General Public
passed away last month after a battle with cancer. He and his writing and vocal partner in the Beat, Dave
Wakeling, formed the band in Birmingham England and became popular with songs like “Save it For Later”
and "Mirror in The Bathroom." What made Roger special was his ability to mesh punk, ska, reggae and pop
into a yet-unheard mix that would lead punk out of its one-dimensional format into other musical avenues.
His Two-tone brothers, including The Specials and The Selecter, showed that a mixed-race band could make
music together in the punk-era and beyond. Sting said on Instagram that Roger was involved in “one of the
most influential periods in the history of British pop music,” as Caribbean music and culture met “young
white bands struggling to find an identity in Thatcher’s disunited kingdom.” Wakeling posted an interview
with DJ Richard Blade on his Twitter feed remembering Roger. “Love and unity was his message, especial-
ly under pressure. In memory of Roger, I hope that people can be kinder to each other.” Rest in power RR.
04•2019
RSD 2019
When you visit the Wisconsin Dells, water parks, boat tours, dining, and
shopping all come to mind, but The Palace Theater is adding live music to the
menu. In addition to their acclaimed dining options and dinner theater, the
venue is also bringing national touring tribute bands and some of the Chicago
area’s top-line tributes to their Concert Series. Theatre mangement has found
folks from Chicagoland and Milwaukee want to see some live music after a
day at the water parks and shopping, and they've been bringing some great
bands to the venue for the last several months. In 2019, The Palace Theater has
become the go-to spot in The Dells to see live music.
The Theater's state-of-the-art facilities have become known for producing
classic Broadway musicals and acclaimed family shows, as well as for their
award-winning fine dining. The Concert Series will bring Bostyxx and Journey
Recaptured the first weekend in April, and Heart to Heartbreaker Heart and
Pat Benatar on April 27. Paul Wenzel’s acclaimed tribute to Toby Keith arrives
on April 25. Upcoming shows this summer include tributes to KISS,
Fleetwood Mac, and Queen. See their full schedule at dellspalace.com.
Overnight packages start at $119. The Palace Theater is located at 564
Wisconsin Dells Parkway South, Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965. To book by phone
and for more information, call 1-608-253-4000.
Dedicated Fans
Photo by Ed Spinelli
Record Store Day celebrates its eleventh birthday on April 13th, and it has become entrenched as a
must-have shopping day for vinyl freaks. As the RSD curators state “this is a day for the people who make
up the world of the record store—the staff, the customers, and the artists—to come together and celebrate
the unique culture of a record store and the special role these independently owned stores play in their
communities.” Exclusive vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively
for the day. Local stores are including live bands on their dockets, and Wax Trax Records is planning a spe-
cial first release RSD festivities for their Industrial Accident soundtrack and DVD.
Our complete list of RSD titles and crucial stores starts on page 41. Keep in mind each store orders
music based on their customer's tastes and some staff favorites. Lists are generally posted 3-5 days before
the event on their social media pages. As the folks at Record Store Day say, “The whole point of this crazy
"holiday" is to celebrate the record store, and if you're there with that spirit in mind, we thank you. If you
didn't get something you were looking to get, we apologize and hope that someday it finds its way into
your collection. Please be civil and nice to the humans around you no matter what."
6 illinoisentertainer.com april 2019
We already know heavy metal fans are the most passionate about their music
as a genre, but streaming service Spotify has decided that metalheads are the
most dedicated to their music. While your sister argues her EDM DJ’s are the
best, or your older brother may spend days chasing jam bands around the coun-
try, according to Vice, “fans of most other genres are drawn to shiny new artists.
[But the] metal fandom is generational; new recruits are encouraged to appreci-
ate the bands that came before and build up chronological knowledge while still
keeping abreast of current developments. That widened musical net funnels
directly into more sales; when someone's buying up the new Mefitic record,
they're probably also beefing up their Blasphemy collection or finally grabbing
that Hellhammer box set. Metalheads are completists, and metal as a genre is
incredibly diverse; there are thousands upon thousands of metal bands out there
to whom fans may pledge fealty, and they do so with an (economic) vengeance.”
Another argument is metal has had the most spin-offs over the years, mashing
up punk, hip hop, funk, alternative, and doom. When you have so many genre-
bending versions of metal, it follows you through stages of your life. Now that’s
dedicated.