Kewadin Fest Recap

Whew! What a festival! It's been a few weeks since our first summer festival wrapped up and all we can say is THANK YOU to everyone who had a hand in making it such a great event! To our volunteers, our staff, our community...you made it what it was! Thank you.

Are we doing it again? We're not sure yet...but when we decide...you'll be the first to know!

Until then...

PARKING NOTES

CUSTOMER PARKING:
We have set up special parking areas for festival patrons on July 22 – 24 at the Sault High School, the old Wal-Mart building, the Big Bear, and the Cultural Center. This shuttle will run 24 hours a day from Thursday July 22 – 24. All patrons will be picked up and dropped off at the trail hotel entrance.

Shuttles will be running back and forth continuously for both patrons and employees. If the shuttle is not there when you arrive it will be back to pick you up within 15 minutes.

Call us with any questions at 800-539-2346.

All Show a Go!

Well, here we are - the week of the festival! Two of our three stages are up, our entrance tent is up, and most of our vendor tents are ready to go - all we need now is YOU!

I wanted to share some of the festival details with you all, so here we go....during the event we'll have THREE stages with music and entertainment starting at noon. Here is the line up:

Main Stage

Thursday July 22nd
5:00pm – 5:45pm Nixxon Dixxon
6:00pm – 6:45pm Electric Motor Fish
7:15pm – 8:30pm Vince Neil
9:00pm – 10:30pm Bret Michaels

Friday July 23rd
5:00pm – 5:45pm Dannison
6:00pm – 6:45pm 5th Way
7:00pm – 7:45pm Finding Clyde
8:00pm – 9:00pm Stilrize
9:30pm – 11:00pm 3 Doors Down

Saturday July 24th
5:00pm – 5:30pm Kellen Perron
5:45pm – 6:30pm Showdown
6:45pm – 7:30pm Elipzis
7:45pm – 8:45pm Clown Sack
9:15pm – 10:45pm Meat Loaf

Stage one

Thursday July 22nd
12:00pm – 5:00pm Camp Rock

Friday July 23rd
12:00pm – 5:00pm Camp Rock

Saturday July 24th
12:00pm – 1:00pm Jody Gaskin
1:15pm – 2:15pm Electric Motor Fish
2:30pm – 3:30pm Nixxon Dixxon
4:00pm – 5:00pm Dannison

Stage Two

Thursday July 22nd
12:00pm – 1:00pm Paul Perry
1:00pm – 2:00pm Dj Chef (Marc Weiss)
2:00pm – 3:00pm Paul Perry
3:00pm – 4:00pm Dj Chef (Marc Weiss)
4:00pm – 5:00pm Paul Perry
5:00pm – 6:00pm Dj Chef (Marc Weiss)

Friday July 23rd
12:00pm – 1:00pm Paul Perry
1:00pm – 2:00pm Dj Chef (Marc Weiss)
2:00pm – 3:00pm Paul Perry
3:00pm – 4:00pm Dj Chef (Marc Weiss)
4:00pm – 5:00pm Paul Perry
5:00pm – 6:00pm Dj Chef (Marc Weiss)

Saturday July 24th
12:00pm – 1:00pm Paul Perry
1:00pm – 2:00pm Dj Chef (Marc Weiss)
2:00pm – 3:00pm Paul Perry
3:00pm – 4:00pm Dj Chef (Marc Weiss)
4:00pm – 5:00pm Paul Perry
5:00pm – 6:00pm Dj Chef (Marc Weiss)

We've also got some great vendors including:

Sugar Shack
Superior Lines Tattoo
Up in Smoke
Libby's Lighters
Donut Dinner
Looks Unlimited
Readings by Sandra
Top of the Mitt
North Coast Concessions
Guidos
Leftoveratures
Bayou Bills
Paradise Concession
Patricia Lynne's Treasures
A & J Crafts
Art into Jewelry / Inka
Funny Fancy Faces
Touch of Gray
The Sewing Bee LLC
Wayne Groleau
Turtle Island Arts & Crafts
Always Unique Crafts
Schwan Foods
Hand Made Woven Rugs

Don't miss the best event of the summer! GET YOUR TICKETS NOW at www.kewadin.com or by calling us at 800-539-2346.

Main Stage Itinerary

Can you believe it - only 9 more days! We are excited to release the itinerary for the main stage during the festival. Remember, we will have three stages with entertainment starting at noon each day of the festival!

Main Stage
Thursday July 22nd
• 5:00pm – 5:45pm Nixxon Dixxon
• 6:00pm – 6:45pm Electric Motor Fish
• 7:15pm – 8:30pm Vince Neil
• 9:00pm – 10:30pm Bret Michaels

Friday July 23rd
• 5:00pm – 5:45pm Dannison
• 6:00pm – 6:45pm 5th Way
• 7:00pm – 7:45pm Finding Clyde
• 8:00pm – 9:00pm Stilrize
• 9:30pm – 11:00pm 3 Doors Down

Saturday July 24th
• 5:00pm – 5:30pm Kellan Perron
• 5:45pm – 6:30pm Showdown
• 6:45pm – 7:30pm Elipzis
• 7:45pm – 8:45pm Clown Sack
• 9:15pm – 10:45pm Meat Loaf

Vince Neil & Bret Michaels ready to rock Kewadin!

With only 17 days to go, the excitement for Kewadin’s 1st Summer Festival is building! We’re putting the final touches on details, finalizing vendors, placing final orders for tents and merchandise.

The first night of the festival will be a rockin one! Not only will we have live entertainment starting at noon, but superstars Vince Neil (former Mötley Crüe front man) and Bret Michaels (former Poison front man) will be performing!

Vince Neil:

International superstar, accomplished businessman and heartfelt philanthropist, Vince Neil came to exemplify all things rock and roll: the sound, the success, the look and the outrageous lifestyle. Vince's unmistakable voice leads some of the greatest rock songs of this generation including "Shout At The Devil," "Home Sweet Home," "Girls, Girls, Girls," "Dr. Feelgood," "Kickstart My Heart," "Same Ol Situation," and the recent "Saints of Los Angeles," which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2009 for Best Hard Rock Performance. With fifteen years between his last solo album, Vince Neil releases Tattoos & Tequila on June 22, followed by his tell all book of the same name later in the fall.

When not performing, Vince Neil continues to expand and oversee his latest entrepreneurial efforts which include Feelgoods Rock Bar and Grill in West Palm Beach and Las Vegas; Vince Neil Ink, a Las Vegas based tattoo parlor and apparel shop with two locations -- one on the Las Vegas strip and one in the Rio Hotel & Casino; Tres Rios tequila, a high quality, authentic Mexican tequila created from the finest Agave in Guadalajara Mexico; The Skylar Neil Memorial Foundation (www.skylarneil.org), a tribute to Vince's daughter whom he lost to cancer in 1995 which has raised over $2 million to help combat childhood cancer and his latest venture, Vince Neil Aviation, a luxury air charter service providing the rock n' roll commute on either his Lear 35 or Hawker 700 jets.

In addition to selling 80 million records around the world as the badass front man for Mötley Crüe, Vince Neil also began his career as a solo artist in 1993. Vince's Top 200 Billboard albums, Exposed (which reached number 13 on The Billboard 200 albums chart) and Carved In Stone have spurred the hits "You're Invited (But Your Friend Can't Come)" (co-written by Vince with Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw), "Can't Have Your Cake" (co-written by Vince with Steve Stevens) and "Sister Of Pain" (co-written by Vince with Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw).

The International rock icon's new album Tattoos & Tequila, co-produced by Vince Neil, Jack Blades (Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper) and Marti Frederiksen (Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Buckcherry) is a compilation of genre defining hits that have been given the Vince Neil rock renewal treatment and is sure to be an updated rock lifestyle staple. The title song for the album captures Vince's signature sound with a contemporary feel that has been compared to current acts such as Cavo and Godsmack. "Tattoos & Tequila" celebrates the rock n' roll lifestyle.

Bret Michaels:

Bret Michaels is, if nothing else, a true survivor. He has survived ear fatal car crash in 1994 and the countless musical trends and fads of the last two decades.

As front man for the legendary rock band Poison, Michaels has sold 25 million records and scored an amazing 15 chartbusting Top 40 singles including "Talk Dirty to Me," "Something to Believe In," "Nothing But a Good Time" and the timeless #1 smash "Every Rose Has its Thorn."

And in the new millennium Poison's music has been featured in such big screen flicks as "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," "Grandma's Boy" and "Deuce Bigelow-European Gigolo." They continue to be one of the industry's top grossing concert attractions and their 2006 "20 Years of Rock" CD was a bona fide Top 20 gold smash. Poison's most recent CD is 2007's "Poison'D" an album of cover songs that have influenced the band members over the years.

Michaels has also produced and written material for other artists including Stevie Nicks. He wrote and produced the song "Love's a Hard Game to Play" which appeared on Nicks' platinum album "Timespace: The Best Of Stevie Nicks." More recently Michaels could be heard providing background vocals along with Phil Vassar on the Kenny Chesney/Uncle Kracker duet single "Last Night Again."

As an actor, Michaels has made regular appearances on such hit television shows as "Yes Dear," "Martial Law," and "The Chris Isaak Show." And he has also co-hosted "Access Hollywood" and been a judge on the wildly popular "Nashville Star" program. Recently, Michaels has played for charity on "Don't Forget the Lyrics" winning $250,000 for St. Jude's Children's Hospital and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Setting his musical sights beyond Poison, Michaels released his debut solo album "Songs of Life" in 2003 followed by the rootsy, Americana flavored sophomore record "Freedom of Sound" in 2005. The current release, "Rock My World" was released in June 2008 and features a collection of Bret Michaels' solo songs that have been featured on the "Rock Of Love" television series.

"Rock of Love with Bret Michaels" has been an enormous ratings winner for Vh1. The series has became the highest rated series on Vh1 and consistently won its time slot when aired, including multiple airings. Michaels is currently filming a third installment of the series aptly titled "Rock of Love Bus with Bret Michaels" as the singer is taking the show on the road this time.

This show will be unforgettable – opening bands will start at 5 p.m., headliners will perform with a spectacular fireworks display following. Get your tickets now – only $75 for all three days or $50 for single day passes – at www.kewaidn.com or 800-539-2346. What are you waiting for?

Local Bands Announced

If you've been as anxious as me to find out which local bands will be planing at our festival, you're gonna be happy!! We've got bands booked from Sault Ste. Marie, Lansing, Grand Rapids and Boston all to play at our Summer Festival!

Line up includes:
Nixxon Dixxon, Clown Sack, Electric Motor Fish, Rock Camp (Youth Group), Elipzis, and Paul Perry all from Sault Ste. Marie, Showdown from Lansing, Dannison from Grand Rapids, Finding Clyde from Essexville, and Stilrize from Boston.

I know one member, Tony Rogers, who plays with both Clown Sack and Electric Motor Fish. He's very excited to play. "It’s always a great opportunity when you have a chance to play in front of thousands of people. We have a lot of talented musicians locally and this is a great place to show it.” he recently told me.

Local bands will perform daily from noon – 1 p.m.; 2 – 3 p.m. and 4 – 5 p.m. A schedule of when each group will be playing will be available on-line the week before the festival.

Having these local bands will give our festival the local flare we wanted - and it allows us to have music the entire day of the event!

Remember, the casino’s three-day summer festival July 22 to 24 will feature four national headlining acts, including1980s rockers Bret Michaels and Vince Neil, modern rockers 3-Doors Down, and American rock icon Meat Loaf. The festival will also feature celebrity appearances with autograph sessions with Henry “The Fonz” Winkler, former Lion football players Billy Sims and Herman Moore and the famous Playboy Playmates, Shannon James, Brittany B. and Amber Campisi, celebrity chef & spinmaster Marc Weiss "The DJ Chef", and a strolling magician.

The festival will also have food and merchant vendors, a golf simulator, bumper cars, Rock Band Wii, a NASCAR Simulator, electronic bull riding, Baggo tournament, daily food eating contests and fireworks at the end of each day.

A three-day pass to the festival is $75, while single-day passes are $50. The three day passes include entry into all concerts and three days of festival activities. A limited number of tickets will be available. Cash sales will be available at the gate during the festival. All festival events will be held at Kewadin Casino Sault Ste. Marie from noon to 10 p.m., rain or shine. Admission to the concerts is general. Gates for the festival open at 11 a.m.

Meet Herman Moore & Billy Sims Coming at Kewadin - July 23

During the festival, there will be appearances by six nationally know celebrities! Henry “The Fonz” winkler, Billy Sims, Herman Moore, and three playboy playmates.

At the appearances, you’ll be able to meet and mingle with the celebrities! On Friday July 23, don’t’ miss your chance to meet former Lion football players Billy Sims and Herman Moore from 1 – 3 p.m. at the main festival area!


BILLY SIMS
Billy Sims (born September 18, 1955 in St. Louis, Missouri) is a former college football and NFL running back. He won the Heisman Award and the Davey O'Brien Memorial Trophy.

Sims grew up in St. Louis, but in the eighth grade he moved to Hooks, Texas, to live with his grandmother. In three years of varsity football at Hooks High School, he rushed 1,128 times (a state record at the time, currently second behind Robert Strait) for 7,738 yards, including 441 carries in 1973 (another state record at the time, currently tied for second behind Ketric Sanford). He continues to hold the state record for most consecutive games with 100 yards or more, 38 (1972-1974).

In 1975, he was recruited to the University of Oklahoma by Barry Switzer. After injuries kept him out of the line-up for most of his freshman and half of his sophomore seasons (rushing for only 545 yards in two seasons plus one game of 1976), in his junior season he cut loose, picking up 1,762 yards on 231 carries for an amazing average of 7.6 yards per carry (160.1 yards and 10.9 points per-game) for the regular season. Including the post-season Sims had 1,896 yards, a total yardage school record that stood until 2004 when freshman Adrian Peterson tallied up 1,925. In 1978 Sims was awarded the Heisman Trophy, becoming only the sixth junior to do so. He was runner up the following season in 1979. He led the nation in rushing with 1,896 yards and had 22 touchdowns. He also became the first running back in Big 8 Conference (now merged to form the Big 12 Conference) history to rush for 200-yards in three consecutive games, and had four 200-yard games in a single season.

After losing to the University of Arkansas 31-6 in 1978, Sims led the Sooners to two consecutive Orange Bowl titles in three straight appearances. In the Orange Bowl following the 1978 season, he scored two touchdowns in a 31-24 win over the University of Nebraska. In 1979 against then-unbeaten Nebraska, who had the No. 1 rushing defense in the country at the time, Sims ran for 247 yards and helped the Sooners to a 17-14 win. In his final game as a Sooner, he helped defeat Florida State University, 24-7, rushing for 164 yards. He ended his career at OU with 3,813 yards; most of those yards came in his final two seasons.

Sims was the first overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft. He spent five years with the Detroit Lions, making the Pro Bowl in 1980, 1981, and 1982. Sims led the Lions to the playoffs in 1982 and 1983 but they lost in the first round both times. Sims finished his career with 1131 carries for 5106 yards (4.5 yards per carry), and 186 receptions for 2072 yards (11.1 yards per catch). His career ended midway through the 1984 season when he suffered a knee injury in a game against the Minnesota Vikings. Sims remains a beloved former sports figure in Detroit, where his number 20 would be worn five years after his retirement by Barry Sanders. He was given the nickname "Kung Fu Billy Sims" by ESPN's Chris Berman, after a game where the Detroit Lions played the Houston Oilers. In NFL Films the highlight, rather than be tackled during a rushing attempt, Billy ran at, jumped, and drop-kicked the Oiler's tackler.

He now serves as a vice president with AmericaCan, a non-profit organization, and licenses the use of his name to Billy Sims Barbecue. Sims also makes appearances for sports marketing firms.

HERMAN MOORE
Herman Joseph Moore (born October 20, 1969 in Danville, Virginia, USA) is a former American National Football League wide receiver. At George Washington High School in Danville he played mostly as a kicker and also as a tight end. He went to the University of Virginia, where he was a 2-sport athlete. He ranks second all-time in career receptions and holds the school record in the high jump. Moore's college jersey number was 87.

Moore was drafted in the first round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, where he enjoyed a great deal of success. He was selected to four Pro Bowls, from 1994 to 1997. He was the second player (after Jerry Rice) to have three 100-catch seasons. Also in 1995, Moore and teammate Brett Perriman (108 catches) became the first WR duo to each catch more than 100 receptions in the same season. In his highly successful 1995 season Moore caught a career high 123 balls (an NFL record at the time). In 1998, Herman Moore received the inaugural All-Iron Award for his performance in the Thanksgiving game.

Moore finished his 12 NFL seasons with 670 receptions for 9,174 yards and 62 touchdowns.

Herman Moore holds NFL records for both receptions (61) and receiving yards (965) on Thursday games.