The Kentucky Headhunters, with Bourbon Lakes
WHERE: Wild Hogs Roadhouse, 6363 Farmersville-West Carrollton Road, Moraine
WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11. Gates open at noon, with entertainment scheduled all afternoon.
COST: $25
MORE INFO: (937) 388-0600 or www.wildhogtickets.com
ARTIST INFO: www.kentuckyheadhunters.com
If all goes as planned, Wild Hogs Roadhouse will become known as much more than simply a restaurant for motorcycle enthusiasts. The new entertainment complex recently opened on a 30-acre site in Moraine and offers food and music for Harley-Davidson riders and non-bikers alike.
Wild Hogs begins its new schedule of events on Saturday, Sept. 11, with a performance by The Kentucky Headhunters.
“We could not think of a better group to kick off our entertainment,” owner David Morgan said. “We have many other major acts planned and expect to be the premier entertainment center in this area.”
Gates open Saturday at noon, with music and activities scheduled all afternoon. Bourbon Lakes opens at 7 p.m., followed by a headlining set from The Kentucky Headhunters.
NAME: The Kentucky Headhunters
FORMED: Edmonton, Ky., in 1986
BAND MEMBERS: Richard Young (vocals, lead guitar), Greg Martin (guitar, vocals), Fred Young (drums, vocals) and Doug Phelps (vocals, bass)
ORIGIN STORY: The members of this hard-rocking outfit played music professionally in other groups for more than 20 years before they inexplicably struck commercial gold in 1989 with the raucous and unconventional debut album, “Pickin’ on Nashville.”
MUSICAL STYLE: Bluesy southern rock
ARCHIVAL REVIVAL: During the last few years, Young and his bandmates have been culling through their massive personal archives for a series of retrospective releases. The first album in the series, “Authorized Bootleg,” was released in September 2009 and is a live recording from a 1990 concert at the Agora Ballroom in Cleveland.
BUCKEYE FAVES: “One of the first places that ever played the Headhunters was The Rebel in Dayton,” Richard Young said. “They might’ve even been the first station that ever played us. I know Dayton and Columbus came on really quick. Ohio had a big nucleus of music people that actually helped make the band. It’s very fitting this album comes from this area.”
ON THE ROAD: The Kentucky Headhunters remain an active live band, but the group now prefers to do consecutive long weekends each month rather than touring for months at a time.
PERSEVERANCE: “We’ve created such a great following through the years because we’ve been so persistent about touring,” Young said. “We’ve still got a perseverance to us where we want to strive and do it so we keep a great cult following just about everywhere in North America you’d want to go.”
FUTURE PLANS: The quartet already has concerts booked into early 2011, so these veteran rockers won’t be packing their road gear in mothballs anytime soon.
CONTACT contributing arts and music writer Don Thrasher at donaldthrasher8@aol.com.
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