Friction Rocked Rainbow Gardens on New Year's Eve

You and me we're goin' Rockin' Tonight at Rainbow Gardens, where Friction will help ring in the New Year. But not tonight.

In the 80s and early 90s, we had a Love to Live By, courtesy of Friction. Sure, we were younger then, but as we said, we ain't bad kids, we're just tryin' to fake it. So when the ball drops, At Midnight I Go Punk. It's Too Late to Cry, and this ain't no Broken Heart Charity Ball.

Rockin' my baby on the tree top, Baby Talk. You couldn't turn on the radio and not hear a Friction tune, especially if you listened to K-104. Nobody was Down & Lonely when these guys were around.

Bob Michel, Marty Scott, Marlon Coe and the boys in Friction packed them in at Rainbow Gardens at Waldameer Park, and at practically any other gig they played in Erie, PA and the Tri-state area. If you followed the band you always had a chance to Wave Goodbye to a Friend at the end of the night.

Friction performed a reunion gig at Rainbow Gardens in 2008.

Enjoy more fun and puns about Erie, Pennsylvania at: Old Time Erie

The Moonlighters Rocked Rainbow Gardens

Remember Rockin' in the New Year with the Moonlighters at Rainbow Gardens in Erie, PA?

This poster is probably from 1989, since guitarist Keith Veschecco is in this photo, second from the left. Wendy Stevens was the lead vocalist, and Tim Papotnik (far right) played keyboards. 

The musician on the far left is drummer John Portonova, and Steve Witkowski might be the third man from the left. 

The Moonlighters were a very popular local Top 40 rock band in the 1980s. Their New Year's Eve show at Rainbow Gardens at Waldameer Park was usually performed in front of a packed house.

Bill McLean opened for the Moonlighters for this show.

Here is a link to a 1990 article about the late Keith Veschecco: 
http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/08/keith-veschecco-trs-audio-1990-profile.html

John Portonova was in Vertical Union prior to joining the Moonlighters. You can read about Vertical Union here: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/08/vertical-union-rocked-erie-circa-1975.html

Rainbow Gardens at Waldameer Park, Erie, PA

Rainbow Gardens has held many events over the past eighty plus years, everything from concerts, dances, antique shows, ethnic festivals and craft shows. The venue is located in Millcreek Township, Erie County, PA, on the grounds of Waldameer Park and Water World. The park has entrances on West 8th Street and on Peninsula Drive.

Rainbow Gardens was built around 1925. The roof of Rainbow Gardens collapsed under the weight of a heavy snowstorm just before Christmas in 1950, causing the cancellation of four Christmas and New Year dances. (There was also a destructive fire at a different building at Waldameer Park, the Hofbrau German restaurant, in 1941.)

Some concerts at Rainbow Gardens include:
Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, May 23, 1927
Fletcher Henderson and his orchestra performed around 1928
Tal Henry and his North Carolinians, August 4, 1930
Duke Ellington & his Cotton Club Orchestra with Ivy Anderson, Sept. 10, 1931
Fats Waller and his orchestra performed for 6,000 people on April 25, 1936
Freddy Bergin with Mary Tudor, Oct. 17, 1936
Tommy Reynolds and his orchestra, May 22, 1942
Dick Stabile and his orchestra featuring Gracie Barrie, Nov. 26, 1942
Les Brown and his orchestra, December 5, 1942
Jack Teegarden performed around December, 1942
Richard Himber, April 24, 1943
Buddy Rich and his orchestra, July 6, 1946
Ina Ray Hutton and her orchestra, July 17, 1946
Carmen Cavallaro and his orchestra, July 9, 1947
Tex Beneke and his Glen Miller orchestra, Aug. 22, 1947
Gene Parlette and his orchestra, July 12, 1952
Les Brown and his Band of Renown, July 14, 1952
Stan Kenton, August 8, 1952
CJ Bri, February 13, 1970 Sweetheart Hop ad
Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, May 13, 1973
Maynard Ferguson, August 7, 1975
The Moonlighters
The Pulse and Friction, Nov. 13, 1981
Generic Beat 1985 (Battle of the Bands)
Generic Beat 1986 (show sponsored by WSEG-FM)
Shok Paris, Dirty Looks, Blackout, Rex and Thunder, Friday, March 7 (1987?)
Ronnie James Dio, April 25, 1997

This is going to be a long list. I will add more dates as I find them. Feel free to add a comment with the dates of concerts you have attended at Rainbow Gardens in Erie, PA.

Enjoy more historic facts and photos of Erie, PA at: oldtimeerie.blogspot.com

C. J. Bri at Sweetheart Hop 1970 Erie, PA

-ad in Erie Daily Times, February 12, 1970.

Check out this ad for the first public appearance of C. J. Bri, a progressive trio featuring Jon Ims,  organist John Novello and drummer Jay Lewis (ala Emerson, Lake & Palmer). The band played the Sweetheart Hop at Rainbow Gardens at Waldameer Park on Friday the 13th of February, 1970. Love how the ad says, "Come & decide if this group makes it." Only in Erie, PA!

Novello formed C. J. Bri after the demise of Symon Grace and the Tuesday Blues. He has had a long career in the music industry as an author, composer, producer, music educator and and keyboardist (he plays in Niacin with bassist Billy Sheehan).

Jon Ims wrote the Trisha Yearwood hit "She's In Love With the Boy."

Learn more fun facts about Erie, Pennsylvania at Old TimeErie