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Rock Legend to Hit Majestic Valley Arena

By Beacon Staff

As most Flathead Valley residents know, when winter moves in, it brings with it all the elements that make staying inside look a bit more tempting. The cold, the monochromatic landscape, and the prospect of bad roads mean it takes a good reason for residents to head out and get social.

Months of this can cause a bit of cabin fever, a concept that a new Marion-based production company has taken to heart. Cabin Fever Productions hopes to break some of the winter monotony with its upcoming shows, the first of which will bring a rock and roll legend to the Majestic Valley Arena.

Rick Derringer will play the arena on Nov. 30, with local band the Rockaholics opening. Derringer has a distinct pedigree in the rock world, with his first No. 1 hit coming in the summer of 1965, when his band The McCoys’ single “Hang On Sloopy” knocked the Beatles out of the top spot on the charts.

Derringer went on to produce the Winter Brothers’ gold and platinum recordings, as well as release one of his most famous songs, “Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo.”

Throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, Derringer appeared on various albums for popular artists, including Alice Cooper, Richie Havens, Todd Rundgren, Steely Dan, Cyndi Lauper, Barbra Streisand, KISS, Mason Ruffner and Madam X. Derringer is also credited with discovering Weird Al Yankovic, and produced music for Grammy-winning albums and videos.

Derringer’s show will also include Edgar Winter playing lead guitar, according to the production company.

Bringing a talent like Derringer to the Flathead is part of Rick Brown’s specialty set. Brown, the coordinator for Cabin Fever Productions, moved to Marion after he retired from a similar business in Oregon. When he got here, Brown knew there was opportunity for bigger, harder-rocking concerts.

“We thought, ‘Why don’t we do this in Kalispell?’” Brown said. “We thought, ‘We need to get something going on in the winter so there’s no competition and we need to give people something to do.’”

Brown said he would only work with Cabin Fever Productions if the owners – Karen Cooper and Kenney Conway – agreed to keep the ticket prices affordable for area audiences.

“They vowed if I can get them cheap deals through my friends that they would keep the tickets at a fair price,” Brown said.

Tickets for the Rick Derringer concert cost $25 in advance and $30 at the door. There are also $50 VIP tickets, which include front-row seating and a backstage pass to meet Derringer and get his autograph on a CD that comes with the ticket.

Brown said he’s been mentoring the owners at the new production company to keep the business focused on classic rock shows, because those will reliably bring in a solid audience each time.

At this point, Brown said the new production company is going to see how much support such a show can get from the community. If there is ample support, there could be more shows in the future. Brown said he’s already in contact with such artists as the Black Crowes and the Kentucky Headhunters, among others.

“It’d be a big asset to the community if we could just get the support,” Brown said. “If we can get people in the valley to support this, we can continue all winter long.”

The goal is to keep the shows affordable, Brown said, and give people in the Flathead a good reason to get out and have a “a rocking good time.”

“What are you going to do at night?” Brown asked. “Are you going to come in and sit in a bar and spend 50 bucks when you could see a show for $25?”

For ticketing information, visit www.majesticvalleyarena.com or call 406-755-5366. For more information on Rick Derringer, visit www.rickderringer.com.