Rock concert, 'Shopping Day' slated for April 16

Saturday, April 16, will see Nevada merchants participating in "City-wide Shopping Day" before a 6-9:30 p.m. concert with three rock 'n' roll bands featuring homegrown rock star Monty Colvin in Franklin P. Norman City/County Community Center Gymnasium.

Colvin, a 1977 Nevada High School graduate who once played City League basketball in the gym, said it will be nostalgic to take the stage there. "Me and my band, Crunchy, played at the Fox Theatre in the mid-2000s and it'll be cool to go back to Nevada and see the house I lived in at 306 N. Cedar St.," he said.

The former longtime bassist-principal songwriter of the Houston-based heavy metal band the Galactic Cowboys said it has been refreshing to be Crunchy's lead singer-guitarist and create a new style mixing the influences of the Beatles, Foo Fighters and Metallica.

Colvin's late parents Bud and June were in the upholstery business here and he took a bachelor's degree in art at Missouri State University at Springfield -- a talent he employed to design Galactic Cowboys' album covers and continues using to promote Crunchy. His brother Gary works for the city of Glendale, Ariz., and he still has relatives here.

It seems indisputable that musical talent runs powerfully through the Colvin family because Monty's late first cousin Glenn is remembered as Dee Dee Ramone, who played bass and was principal songwriter of the landmark punk rock band the Ramones.

"I followed Glenn's career extensively and hung out with him after one of the Ramones' shows," Colvin said from Kansas City. "He had grown up in Germany and moved to New York City.

"But we didn't talk about the Ramones. We shot the breeze about relatives and stuff. He's a legend and I'm very proud of him."

Asked how he views his experiences with the Galactic Cowboys, who broke up in 2000, Colvin said, "It's good and bad.

"We did six albums and made some great music. We had really good times and got to see a lot of places all over the world. My style now is hard rock with real melodic vocals and catchy melodies. It's fun stuff where you can rock out and sing along at the same time."

Some of the songs on Colvin's most recent album are "The Outcasts," "Love Inc.," "Rip It like a Bandaid," "We Don't Fit in," "Freakboy," "Call It a Crush," "Vicki the Punk" and the title tune "Loserville."

Using "wall of sound" style production, he played all the instruments except drums, mixing a lot of hard-driving rock with softer ballads; however, he will front a five-piece band here.

Concert-Shopping Day Promoter Doug Harper said participating merchants include Chair Mart Showcase, Hertzberg's Furniture, Interior Motives, Jim's Appliances & Repairs, Rinehart Jewelry, Cherry Street Grill, Del-Way and Sonic drive-ins, Aaron's Sales & Lease, Belles & Beaus, Cavener's Library and Office Supply, Iguana Azul and Wilkinson Pharmacy.

Harper said advance tickets for the "all ages" concert are available for $15 for floor seats and $10 for the grandstand at Armadillo Sound Studio at 129 S. Main St. on the Square.

The opening bands will be Num Nutz and Alamo Black.

Harper may be reached at (417) 684-1732 and Publicity Coordinator Lexi Miles may be reached at (406) 885-7376.