Could it be time for the annual Christmas, end of the year, holiday, thank everyone, column already? Dashing through the snow, one horse open slay, over the fields we go, laughing all the way. Ho, Ho. Ho. Christmas radio 24/7 started on Halloween and goes strong through the new year. Lots of bands and singers have done Christmas songs over the years. Everyone from Sinatra to Elvis. Including the Beatles, Beach Boys, Ronettes, Supremes, Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, KISS, even yours truly! (Youtube Benny Jets Christmas Twist) The nice thing about a Christmas recording is it cam come back year after year. The bad thing is you can only promote it for a few weeks. LOL. Darian Counts and the gang at Detroit Live Magazine had a good year, www. detroitlivemagazine.com, the Facebook, the live events, radio events, stories, photos, promos, Tribute shows, Blow my Band Up, D Counts and the Billionaires! You can’t have
a great music scene without a great magazine. You can’t have a great magazine
without great supporters and advertisers. People like the gang at the All Around Bar - downrivers hottest band venue. Bigtimeworldwide.com, Busters Place - the coldest bombs in town!Tittle Construction, Rodgers Chevrolet in Woodhaven, The Token Lounge, Anytime Fitness, The Machine Shop, The Blue Iguana, Garden Wise, AJ Lukasik and son Pluming, Mike Carey Music Store, 888pot4less, Horizon Business Center, RockStarz, Hydrospot and Raddi Audio, Lighting and Staging (great people, great stage and lights for all events). Guitarist Arlen Viecelli had a good year. The former face of Salem Witchcraft, joined the Brownsville Station Band, has a solo CD, and a great Christmas song. Arlen’s version of “Of Holy Night” may be second to none. Find Arlen at www.Arlenrocks.com ;
BENNY AND THE JETS Kaleido
(Detroit supporting Detroit players)! Other musicians who had a good, or let’s say great year include The Mariner band reunion concert, Frijid Pink, Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas - who appeared on David Letterman show! Pistol Day Parade with a new CD and successful tour. Pink haired Christina Chriss and her band Kaleido - toured and played Sammy Hagar birthday party in Las Vegas. The Rushmore’s Band in Wyandotte, Your Generation AKA 50 Amp Fuse. Howling Diablos opened for J Geils at the Fillmore Theater. War Machine, 2 Timin, BulletProof Snow, Banned from Detroit, Yankeeville, Mercy Brown, Critical Bill, Nightmare - Detroit’s only Alice Cooper Tribute, Shock Wave, Deep Cut, Bonnie and the Working Girls, Guitarists Joe LiGraci, Jimmy McCarty, Jason Bone, Jessie Manns, Eddie Leighton, Carl Henry, and yours truly all yelling Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Speaking of yours truly. It has been a good year for Benny and the Jets band and Benny solo, Pawn Star TV show, getting to hang out with Ted Nugent, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Berry Gordy, election to the Michigan Rock and Roll Our friend, drummer, Tommy Clufetos Hall of Fame (www.michiganrockandrolllegends. getting MARRIED this week, while on tour com) getting to talk about and to so many with Black Sabbath. We have written many people here, and playing guitar and singing times about Tommy - started out in Redford songs around town. The good life. NOTE: Michigan, played some gigs with his dad’s band find www.facebook.com/bennyandthejets and (sax player Tommy Clufetos Sr.) a stint (CD and see Benny play; Thursdays open mic night at Tour) with Mitch Ryder, Ted Nugent, Alice the Redford Moose on 5 mile road, Fridays 6pm Cooper, Rob Zombie, OZZY and now with Black with celebrity Chef Zak at Peterlin’s Restaurant Sabbath. on Farmington Road south of 9 mile, Sunday 5pm at Bourbon’s on Sycamore in downtown Hmm, kind of sad or interesting this may be Wyandotte, and NEW YEARS EVE at the famous the only DETROIT MAGAZINE mentioning Thunderbowl in Allen Park Michigan. and congratulating MR. and MRS. TOMMY CLUFETOS. 10 LIVE
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Bulletproof Snow Tommy Clufetos
Mercy Brown