The Kentucky Headhunters Play The Princess

As I sit here in my Kentucky Headhunter t-shirt, I'm reminded of the great time I had Saturday.  Not only was the concert great, but getting to meet the members of the band made it even more special.

I got the shirt with just the Headhunter logo on it, after asking the band's vendor in lobby which one he'd get.  His answer was "The one without their pictures on it.  I have to look at those faces every day!"  That sealed the deal for me.

The show's opener was a group called "Stone, Jess and the Rest" from Oakdale!  They were 7th and 8th graders who are starting out young; reaching for their dream.  They've formed a band of musicians, singers, and cloggers, and they started the night off right, singing "Walk Softly On This Heart Of Mine".  In the wings stood the Headhunters and members of the Cathouse Prophets smiling and watching them perform; perhaps remembering back when they first start reaching for their dream.

Having kids on the stage is what Gary and Muse dreamed of back when they set their sights on the goal of restoring the Princess.  Everyone involved in the Princess should have "The Dream" prominently displayed on their office wall.  It's the ultimate goal of the Foundation, and we hope you help us in that endeavor.

The house had a few tickets left over, but you could hardly tell it.  There was even a big crowd up in the balcony!  The place looked packed to me, and with everyone backstage, and the volunteers working the lobby and aisles there was at least 500 people there.  All were anxious for a great show and to make a little money for the Princess Foundation.

As it turned out, a little money was made, so now the Foundation group will make an assessment, and just maybe a screen can be purchased to match up with the projector recently donated by Regal.

The band is: Scott Maddux (electric guitar, wearing his signature Fedora), Steve "Bird-dog" Burgess (drums), Mike McGill (lead vocals/guitar), Justin Nix (bass), David Glover (percussion), and Roger “The Glue” Schmidt (Hammond B3 and Keys).

So finally it came time for our friend Scott Maddux, and his band "Cathouse Prophets" to hit the stage.  And hit it they did, kicking off the evening with a blend of Southern rock sounding much like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Charlie Daniels!  The audience seemed pleased with what they heard and erupted in applause after each song!

Scott, wearing his signature Fedora, and Mike McGill's vocals lead the group through nearly a dozen tunes, setting the tone for what was to follow: The Kentucky Headhunters!

I must mention here that without Darrell Cole's cymbals there would have been no concert!  The band left theirs in Kentucky, but Darrell saved the day!

When the "coonskin hat" comes off, Fred is just getting warmed up!

Fred Young hit the stage first, taking his position behind his vintage Ludwigs, and a couple of old bass drums from his marching band days at Metcalfe County High in Edmonton, KY!  Fred never left his post until the final beat.  He even remained on stage for a great solo, using mostly his hands, while the rest of the band took a short break.  I asked Doug Phelps if Fred ever got tired.  He thought for a second and said, "You know, I don't believe he does!"

The rest of the band followed, with their "rock'n roll" hair barely dry from showers.  However, it was soon wet again from an exhaustive performance that ran the long way through their 46-year repertoire!  The audience got everything they came for and more.  From "Dumas Walker", "Walk Softly On This Heart Of Mine", to the Beatles "Don't Let Me Down"!

No one enjoyed the show more than the band.  You could tell it in their eyes and from their smiles...they love performing.  You can bet that most of the time spent in the "Practice House" back home is just sitting around playing music together.

The Kentucky Headhunters are Greg Martin (L), Richard Young (C), Doug Phelps (R), and Fred Young on drums.

It was awesome!  The group brought in a crowd; only revivaled by the grand opening night with Marshall Tucker.  The only complaint from a few was that they were a little loud, but hey, it was Southern rock!  If you attend a Princess Foundation concert, bring some ear plugs!  The acoustics in the Princess make it a little tough on sound guys, and even Fred Young was wearing plugs!  However, it was not unbearable, it was just plain ol' enjoyable!

I certainly hope, after seeing how the Princess crowd welcomes and reacts to performers, the Headhunters and Prophets will want to come back to our stage soon.  We would welcome them back anytime!  They were a great bunch of guys, and I'm glad I got to meet them.

If you want to see more photos from this concert, CLICK HERE!