The Mohave Mesa Kiwanis Club has announced their musical lineup for the upcoming CornFest 2000 fundraiser, scheduled for September 29 and 30. Dance hall legends “Swingerhead” of Orlando, Fla. have been booked as the premier act, playing Friday night at 8:30 p.m.

“This is the type of music that appeals to all ages,” said Kiwanis Club president Dave Patterson who saw the group perform at the “Coconut Club” in Beverly Hills, Calif. “Swing music is in right now and they put on a fabulous show.”

Fronted by former New York City Rainbow Room band leader Michael Andrew, the group’s latest independently-released CD, “She Could be a Spy,” debuted at number 15 on Album Network magazine’s “South & Regional Best Seller” list. Other Swingerhead recordings have found their way on to “major act” compilation CDs distributed worldwide. The band’s combination of swing, rock-a-billy, and “lounge sound” inspired Slimstyle Records President Jack Vaughn to comment, “Swingerhead’s cool and fluid style clearly ranks them at the forefront of the modern swing movement, while still keeping a foot in the swing of yesteryear.”

“Every year we try to bring something new into the community,” said Patterson. This is an act you’ll only be able to see in a big city.”

“Pirate,” “Eddie Sachs and the Restless Riders,” “Firelane” and “Four of a Kind,” will join “Swingerhead,” performing at one of the event’s two entertainment stages

“There’s music for everyone,” said CornFest entertainment promoter Troy Heistand. “We have blues, rock, country, pop, swing – a wide variety of entertainment.”

CornFest is the Mohave Mesa Kiwanis Club’s largest annual fundraising event which is geared to benefit many local service clubs and charities. Organizers expect some 45,000 people to attend the two day gathering which features arts and crafts, games, food, music and dance.

Making their second appearance at CornFest, Lake Havasu-based Pirate plays “closet rock and roll,” that is, songs like “The Wall” and “The Weight” that have been forgotten by cover bands. While Pirate’s song selection is unique, so too is the band’s arrangements of those songs. For example, they deliver Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” in a reggae style which gives the song an entirely new direction; and they fill the background harmonies of the Del Vikings “Come Go With Me” with unique staccato pacing. This band takes each song and gives it a few tweaks that improve things from the original. Sometimes they play it pretty straight…but even then, their sound is so tight, it’s like having the live jukebox outfitted with Bose speakers.

Founding members are Dave Traub (lead guitar) and Max Nova (bass), two Southern California musicians who have known each other and played in various groups together for over 20 years. Nova joined Traub in the desert after completing work on a tour and CD with guitarist Les Dudek (Deeper Shades of Blue). The duo then found three seasoned local musicians to climb aboard the Pirate ship. They include Michael Robert, former lead vocalist and the rhythm guitar player for the Shadow Riders of Southern California; keyboardist Larry King; and drummer Ramon Torres. Together, these musicians have created a lounge band that can jump from country to rock, to blues and classic ’50s music with ease.

Eddie Sachs and the Restless Riders are also making a return engagement to CornFest. According to Heistand, the band not only adds a country music element to the venue, but the donation of their talents in the construction of the CornFest sound system has been invaluable.

“Every year they’re here to help us out,” said an appreciative Heistand. “Their music always attracts a large audience.”

Sachs and his band will play three sets on the Ramada stage between 4:30 and 7:15, Saturday night.

Firelane members are no strangers to local club scene. Lead vocalist and group spokesperson Misty Bennetts said several of the members have played in various bands and clubs, trying a little bit of everything in search of that right musical niche.

“There has been a lot of confusion,” said Bennetts of her own experiences. “One weekend I was singing country, the next rock ‘n roll, then biker stuff, then swing and Motown.” She is now singing with guitar player Rudy T, bass player Paul Eddel, saxophonist Louis Bibbs and drummer John Robertson.  “Sitting in with them over a couple of months, we got kinda tight,” she said of the formation of Firelane. “When you get musicians of the same caliber, you can pull things together easily.”

The band focuses on classic rock, R&B and a little jazz – music they like to play, that seems to bring out their individual strengths yet works together as a whole.

“Rudy T is a master guitar player, having recorded with Highway 101, Frank Zappa, Greg Alsup, The Fixx, The Motels and the Drifters. He also was one of the Daletones working with Dick Dale.”

“We’re going back to the music we enjoy – the classic rock and roll, R&B,” states Bennetts. “The bottom line is we need to enjoy ourselves. If you’re truly having fun, the crowd will pick up on that and that’s what it’s all about…entertaining.”

Four of a Kind includes Nooney Rickett, Bill Foss, Oscar Vildosola and Ray Torres.

Rickett is the contact man with the audience. He is not only the lead guitarist and featured lead singer, but also the man with comic touches and “keeper of the song list.”  Rickett inherited these duties due to his extensive background in the music business. He has played venues from the Thunderbird in Las Vegas over 35 years ago to the San Francisco scene of the mid-’60s (Sylvester Stone of Sly and the Family Stone used Rickett’s guitar work for his opening number on his DJ show). He was a record producer for Capitol Records and leader of his own band…in various forms…for decades.

Vildosola came from Orange County where he was a member of a group called Stark Naked and the Car Thieves. He also sang back up to the Righteous Brothers on their re-release of Unchained Melody and later toured with the band. Vildosola has also backed David Hidalgo of Los Lobos fame and Rob Weir of The Grateful Dead.

Bill Foss landed in Nevada from native New England, playing with the “Playboy Girls of Rock and Roll” revue in Lake Tahoe before venturing south. Over the past few years, Foss has played with numerous bands and duos including a stint with keyboardist Ray Torres at the Pour House in Bullhead City.

Torres is a long time Bullhead City resident who has played in almost every venue, along this stretch of the Colorado River. With a song repertoire of amazing proportions Torres can reach into blues, rock and roll, some jazz, salsa and even reggae. Though he prefers the classic Hammond organ, aka Booker T and the MGs, he is adept at the modern small keyboards and all their intricacies. What these musicians create together is a lot of art to go with the music.

“This is the best lineup of bands we’ve ever had at CornFest,” said Heistand. “Plan on spending the day and having a really great time.”

For more information on CornFest, call 704-CORN or visit their website at cornzilla.com.