The Other Orlando Blog

From the press release:

Celebrate the sounds of space exploration with music from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s during the 2008 Fall Concert Series at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The concerts kick-off Saturday, October 18 with 80’s rock band Survivor, followed by The Guess Who and Rick Springfield. Backed by the iconic Rocket Garden, the live, festival style outdoor concert happens every Saturday for three weeks, October 18, 25, and November 1 as part of the NASA 50th anniversary celebration.

Headlining opening weekend on Saturday, October 18 is Survivor, the Grammy Award winning signature American rock band. The band achieved its greatest success in the 1980s with its album-oriented rock, which garnered many charting singles, especially in the United States. The band is best known for its 1982 hit “Eye of the Tiger,” the theme song for the motion picture Rocky III. Other hits include “I Can’t Hold Back,” “High On You,” “The Search Is Over,” “American Heartbeat,” “Burning Heart,” and “Is This Love.” Survivor includes members Frankie Sullivan (guitar/vocals), Marc Droubay (drums), Chris Grove (guitar/keyboards), Billy Ozzello (bass) and the current addition; Robin McAuley (vocals).

The Guess Who, the band that became Canada’s first international rock music superstars, will take the Rocket Garden stage on Saturday, October 25. The band began in 1962 as Chad Allen & The Reflections. The group’s first single and album, Shakin’ All Over, was released in a plain white record jacket with only the question “Guess Who?” written on it. After selling two million copies the band had its trademark name: The Guess Who. Hit single, “These Eyes,” reached #1 in Canada, and earned the band a U.S. contract in 1968. Ironically it was “American Woman,” from March of 1970, which gave The Guess Who a #1 single in the U.S. and unseated The Beatles for three weeks straight. Other singles include “Hand Me Down World,” “Share the Land,” “Bus Rider,” and “Rain Dance.” Current band members include Jim Kale (bass and vocals), Garry Peterson (drums and vocals), Carl Dixon (vocals and guitars), Leonard Shaw (keyboards, flute, sax and vocals) and Laurie MacKenzie (guitars and vocals).

The outdoor concert on Saturday, November 1, will feature Rick Springfield, most famous for the 1981 #1 single “Jessie’s Girl,” which became a Grammy Award-winning landmark of 1980s pop-rock and helped establish the emerging music video age. Also an actor, Springfield’s best known role is that of the character Dr. Noah Drake on the daytime drama General Hospital. Springfield has sold over 19 million records worldwide and holds 17 top-40 hits to date, including more than five in the Top 10. Hit songs include “Affair of the Heart,” “Don’t Walk Away,” “I’ve Done Everything for You” and “Don’t Talk to Strangers.” In July 2008, Springfield released his latest album Venus In Overdrive, his first album of original material since 2003.

Concert Schedule:

* October 18, 2008 - Survivor
* October 25, 2008 - The Guess Who
* November 1, 2008 - Rick Springfield

Labels: guess who, Kennedy Space Center, KSC, rick springfield

Kennedy Space Center has slated the second annual Space & Air Show for November 8 and 9. In addition to the Blue Angels, there will be other hot aerial acts. Fropm the press release:

Newly announced aerobatic acts scheduled to perform include Mike Goulian, sponsored by Castrol Oil and the Air Force Reserve Biplane Show. Also performing are the U.S. Navy Super Hornet Demo Team, the 920th Rescue Wing, U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet, the F-16 Viper East Demonstration and the A-10 Warthog.

Mike Goulian, sponsored by Castrol Oil, will perform in the EXTRA300SHP, the world’s newest custom-built premiere aerobatic aircraft. The Air Force Reserve Biplane Show will feature Ed Hamill telling his story, Living the Dream, in a performance taking viewers back in time through the last century of aerobatics. The 920th Rescue Wing will demonstrate a daring water rescue of a downed astronaut from a Space Shuttle bailout with pararescueman hoisted from helicopters. Other military performances include the F/A-18 Hornet, the nation’s first true strike-fighter capable aircraft, and the A-10 Warthog, the first U.S. Air Force aircraft designed exclusively for close air support. Other flight demonstrations and performances are being added to the schedule and will be announced at a later date.

Labels: air show, blue angels, Kennedy Space Center

But will it be out of this world? From the press release:

With the iconic Rocket Garden as the backdrop, the live, festival style outdoor concert will happen every Saturday at 4:00 p.m. for four weeks, November 10, 17, 24 and December 1 as part of NASA’s 50th anniversary celebration.

Headlining the opening weekend is Kansas, one of the leading rock bands of the 70’s and 80's. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the release of their classic ‘Point of Know Return’ album. Kansas has penned and performed some of rock’s most recognizable songs such as the anthem “Carry on Wayward Son” and the ballad “Dust in the Wind.” The group Kansas consists of members Steve Walsh (vocals, keyboards), Rich Williams (guitar), David Ragsdale (violin, guitar), Billy Greer (bass, vocals), and Phil Ehart (drums).

American Idol finalist and country music star Josh Gracin will take the stage on Saturday, November 17. Gracin is known for his great pipes and dynamic stage presence during the second season of American Idol. The former Marine has found huge success in the country music arena with three consecutive Top 5 singles from his Gold certified self-titled debut CD. He’s one of only three solo country artists in recent years to release a debut album with three consecutive Top 5 country hits, and his number one single “Nothin' To Lose” is certified Digital Gold.

The concert on Saturday, November 24, features one of the most distinctive and powerful voices to emerge from Rock and Top 40 radio, Lou Gramm. The lead vocalist and co-writer of the multi-platinum band Foreigner, Gramm remains one of the most recognizable performers in music today. Gramm, the vocalist on 20 Top 40 singles, exploded onto the international music scene with Foreigner on the chart topper, “Feels Like the First Time,” in 1977. Other hits include “Head Games,” “Cold as Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” “I Wanna Know What Love Is” and “Just Between You and Me.” Now, nearly three decades after the debut of Foreigner and chart-topping success as a solo artist, Lou Gramm returns with a hot new band and a dynamic live show featuring 90 minutes of his own unique brand of Rock 'n Roll.

RPM: Rock & Pop Masters will wrap up the Concert Series on Saturday, December 1. RPM is a world-class band backing up several authentic, original lead singers of huge hits from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Stars scheduled to appear at the Visitor Complex include David Pack formerly of Ambrosia with hits including “You're The Biggest Part of Me” and “How Much I Feel,” Larry Hoppen of Orleans with hits like “Still The One” and “Dance With Me,” and Jimi Jamison formerly of Survivor® known for the hit song “Eye of the Tiger.” The RPM Band includes Barry Dunaway (bass) - Yngwie Malmsteen Band; Lane Hoppen (keys) and Lance Hoppen (bass) - Orleans; Jerry Riggs (guitar) - Pat Travers Band; and Charlie Morgan (drums) - Elton John Band.

Concert Schedule:
November 10, 2007 – Kansas
November 17, 2007 – Josh Gracin
November 24, 2007 – Lou Gramm, Lead Singer of Foreigner
December 1, 2007 – RPM: Rock & Pop Masters

Labels: josh gracin, kansas, Kennedy Space Center, lou gramm, rock and pop masters, rpm

Looks like Bruce Willis' gig at Kennedy Space Center was a big success.

Some 7,000 people showed up to watch Bruce Willis and his blues band perform at the Kennedy Space Center's rocket garden.

Fans cheered as Willis sang and played the harmonica, filling the moments between songs by bantering with the crowd.

"We love playing for you," Willis said at Thursday night's show. "Even when it's hot."

Labels: bruce willis, Kennedy Space Center

Well, okay, not quite. But the new ride scheduled to open at Kennedy Space Center Visitors Center on Memorial Day sounds pretty nifty nonetheless.

The Space Shuttle Experience cost $65 million and is being billed as a major departure for the attraction.

"We have a lot of artifacts and history here, but the modern visitor wants more than a static display," LeBlanc said. "We wanted to do something motion-based with our storytelling here. Visitors really want to learn more about the shuttle program, and they also want to experience a launch."

The ride is housed in a 44,000-square-foot building, which visitors enter through a gantry walkway. Once inside the building, they are seated in any of four simulator cabins, each holding as many as 44 people. The cabin faces a large projection and plasma television screen held on robotic arms.

The ride simulates a launch, replete with vibrations and jolts. Once in space, riders get a view of the Earth when a likeness of payload-bay doors opens. Unlike Walt Disney World's Mission: Space ride, the visitor center's equipment doesn't spin and won't increase G-force pressure on its occupants.

According to KSC, the ride will outlive the Space Shuttle program, which is scheduled to end in a few years.

Be sure to check out all the other great things to see and do at Kennedy Space Center.

Labels: Kennedy Space Center, KSC, Space Shuttle, thrill ride