PHOTO BY JOHN FRYMAN / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
SOUTHERN ROCK-TOBERFEST PERFORMERS … Christ Church Worship Band of Fort Wayne, Indiana performed on Saturday, October 4 as part of the first annual Southern Rock-Toberfest held at Fleo’s Flicks Drive-In Theatre in Edgerton.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
It was a gathering for those who remembered such legendary musicians such as David Allen Coe and Molly Hatchet and on Saturday, October 4, fans gathered at Fleo’s Flicks Drive-In to pay tribute to many Southern Rock legends.
The all-day event featured six bands whose musicians have played with some of those Southern Rock legends from the past.
“My band (Southern Strut Band) was actually formed by members of Molly Hatchet,” said J.C. Lee who now resides in Edgerton and is the lead singer for Southern Strut who was the featured band for the daylong show.
His own southern rock ties with Molly Hatchet are a major influence for those fans who had attended the performance.
“When we go on tour, we just want to do a tribute to all of the southern rock legends that we work with in the past,” commented Lee. “It helped us formed our music careers.”
He pointed out that David Ansley who also resides in Edgerton was also a drummer for David Allen Coe.
“We have a mix of great musicians coming as far as Texas for this show today,” said Lee. Lee wanted to promote the importance of Southern Rock in his new hometown of Edgerton.
“It’s very important,” said Lee. “We wanted to do something in my new hometown and to bring something large scale like this and to bring Southern Rock to the younger crowd.
“They may not know who Lynyrd Skynyrd or Molly Hatchet is. They have a new generation of bands now, so we’re hoping that some of the kids that come out here and will hear some of the Skynyrd stuff and go out and buy an album.”
The Rock-Toberfest event featured such bands as Rick Moore and Lost Highway, Driven Enemy, Cheap Fiction, Superhawk and Christ Church Worship Band in addition to Southern Strut.
“We want to do this kind of every year, make a big thing out of it,” Lee pointed out. It’s a tribute to all of the Southern Rock legends such as the Allman Brothers, Molly Hatchet and Lynyrd Skynyrd and we want to do it right and do it big.
“And we also want to bring some more business to the local community. This is important to us because we want to do something positive for the community.”
The Rock-Toberfest also featured a worship service including a live baptism on Sunday with Scott Martin who is a guitarist for Southern Strut is also a youth pastor in Texas.
“Having them support this and helping out with the church organizations, that’s big for us too,” said Lee.