Music
Foghat
Foghat photographer Shelli Carlisle
Roger Earl
Born: May 16, 1946
Birthplace: London, England
Drummer
“I stuck the pole out the window and hauled poor sand sharks up three of four floors. Very cruel. I don’t do that sort of thing anymore…at least not to sand sharks. Then we’d leave them in the tub for the maids…very childish…but I think they were used to this sort of thing. (The sharks I mean…not the maids!)”
~Roger Earl, Fishing from his hotel room in Seattle, Washington
Charlie Huhn
Born: Jan 11, 1951
Birthplace: Oregon
Guitar, Vocals
“I’m lucky. I knock on wood every day and say just give me one more year. It’s actually so great to keep rocking and rolling in a former super group that sounds and plays as good as it does today. At this stage, there are no egos anymore. Everyone knows what the score is.”
~Charlie Huhn
Rockin’ the Nevada Desert
Bryan Bassett
Born: Aug 11, 1954
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Guitar
“The highlight IS touring with Foghat. When you’re in a band with people you like and respect and you’re fulfilled in the music that you’re making that’s as good as it gets.”
~Bryan Bassett
Craig MacGregor
Born: Sept 13, 1949
Birthplace: Iowa
Bass
“Then in ’75 I joined up with Foghat and I’ve been rockin on and off with them since then. Playing in a great rhythm section just can’t be beat, because you gotta capture the groove or nothing else counts.”
~Craig MacGregor
Shelli Carlisle
Each April Laughlin, Nevada revs up for what is billed as the West Coast’s Largest Motorcycle Event on the Banks of the Colorado River, otherwise known as The Laughlin River Run.
The Laughlin River Run was conceived in 1983 by Dale Marschke, a Harley-Davidson dealer who wanted to create a weekend ride for his customers–426 people participated that first year. In 2007 over 70,000 people made their way to the sleepy river town for a week of great entertainment, concerts, shopping, people watching and checking out all of the awesome rides.
So, what better way to kick off the week then with a concert by British rockers, Foghat.
Foghat made their debut in 1971. Their unique mix of rock and blues quickly caught the attention of rockers all over the world. And, here we almost four decades later and Foghat still draws large crowds wherever they perform.
The Concert
When I arrived at the concert there were hundreds of people anxiously waiting for the doors to open. The arena quickly filled, the lights went down, and the rock fest began. I was struck by the diversity of the crowd. Young adults, Gen Xers, Baby Boomers all anticipating a righteous trip back to the seventies.
It was standing room only as Foghat ripped one tune after another. What was really cool was that the audience was allowed to stand-up against the stage, which allowed a much more personal connection with the band. Of the original band members only Roger Earl (drums) remains. In 1974 Tony Stevens (bass) left the band and was replaced by longstanding member Craig McGregor. Bryan Basset (lead guitar) replaced Rod Price and Charlie Huhn (lead vocals, guitar) has stepped in for Lonesome Dave Perverett who sadly lost his battle with cancer in 2000.
The rush of the crowd, the rifts of the guitars, the blast of the drums and the banging vocals are what make this band as popular today as they were “back in the day.”
Their lineup included such hits as I Just Want To Make Love To You, California Blues, Fool For The City and of course the highlight of the evening was their infamous Slow Ride which had everyone standing, singing, dancing and cheering for more. It was a very memorable evening, for all.
For more on Foghat, visit their official website.
Tagged concert review, Foghat, music